Baum: “We’re approaching each match differently”

In the battle against Bundesliga relegation, FC Augsburg travel to face fellow Bavarian side 1. FC Nürnberg on Saturday, 30th March (15:30 CET). Head coach Manuel Baum has dismissed talk of a potential easy three points due to Nürnberg’s league position (18th) but expects his side to deliver another strong performance in search of all three points. FC Augsburg will want to build upon the strong performances just before the international break against fellow strugglers Nürnberg on Saturday. FCA head coach Manuel Baum is expecting a close and tense Bavarian derby. “The Nürnberg players and fans still believe that can avoid relegation from the Bundesliga. Just like in the goalless draw against Borussia Dortmund, they will have their fans and whole stadium behind them and they are in the position to challenge every team in the Bundesliga. We travel to Nürnberg on Saturday with the mentality that we aren’t facing the team bottom of the league, instead a team who can defeat anyone on their day.” In the previous meeting between FCA and ‘Der Club’ this season, the match ended in a 2-2 draw. However, Manuel Baum isn’t reflecting on that match as his side prepares for the short trip to Nürnberg. “I don’t believe there are any parallels between this match and the previous game. The two teams are in different situations compared with that match. Nürnberg have changed coaches and there still is the realistic possibility for them to stay up at the expense of Stuttgart or Schalke. We go into each match differently and have to only think about that match until it is over. We hope that the WWK ARENA will be illuminated with green lights when we arrive back in Augsburg on Saturday evening.” The WWK ARENA is lit up green after each FCA victory. The club are currently monitoring Jonathan Schmid and Dong-Won Ji, who are doubts for Saturday. Schmid suffered a bruised foot during the 2-1 friendly victory against Dynamo Dresden, while Ji returned from international duty with a slight knock. Ja-Cheol Koo, who was rested during the international break, is also looking forward to the upcoming trip to Nürnberg. “For the first time in eight years, I received a break from football during the international fixtures. As a result, I’ve been able to turn my full concentration to this trip to Nürnberg and the rest of the Bundesliga campaign. The Nürnberg match is very important for our battle against Bundesliga relegation and we must play as a team to secure all three points.” The DFB-Pokal adventure continues on Tuesday evening On Tuesday night (2nd April, 20:45 CEST), FCA will turn their attentions to the DFB-Pokal. Augsburg host RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals and the club hope to advance to only their second semi-final appearance in club history. However, Manuel Baum isn’t thinking about that cup tie until after the trip to Nürnberg. “Of course we want to advance to the semi-finals, but our current focus is purely about Bundesliga survival and the trip to Nürnberg. Our preparations for the Leipzig match begin when we return to Augsburg.”