Bayer Leverkusen
FC Augsburg
2
0
- Referee:
- Christian Dingert
FCA lose 2-0 in Leverkusen
Away run over
First Team
26.04.2025, 17:29
After a long unbeaten run away from home, FC Augsburg suffered defeat on the road in Leverkusen on Matchday 31. The reigning champions and current second-placed side emerged 2-0 victors.
Jess Thorup made one change to the side that began the goalless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, as Elvis Rexhbecaj returned to the starting XI. Alongside Arne Maier, who was suspended for this game, Mads Pedersen, Noahkai Banks, Mergim Berisha and Steve Mounié also missed out due to injury.
The visitors were hopeful for this game and wanted to build on their strong away record in the second half of the season (eight consecutive games without defeat). However, FCA made it difficult for themselves against the tactically flexible Leverkusen side. That said, it was the away side to whom the first chance of the game fell: Samuel Essende did well to recover possession from Edmond Tapsoba and then left Jonathan Tah in his wake, but ultimately, his shot narrowly missed the target.
Four minutes later, Leverkusen took the lead. Patrik Schick’s deflected effort sailed unstoppably past Finn Dahmen in the Augsburg net (13’). FCA continued to make life difficult for themselves and were lucky to have not gone 2-0 down in the 25th minute. Nathan Tella’s goal was retrospectively ruled out by a VAR check as he had been in an offside position. It was only then that Thorup’s side improved, but they then conceded another in first-half stoppage time. After the FCA defence failed to clear the ball from a cross into the box, Emiliano Buendia placed a precise curled effort into the far corner to double the hosts’ lead (45’+1).
A goalless second half
The second period began with a dangerous bouncing shot from Florian Wirtz, which Dahmen did well to save. FCA were now more resolute defensively, which meant Thorup was able to make a triple change in the 57th minute which saw Robert Gumny, Mert Kömür and Henri Koudossou enter the fray. In the 61st minute, Essende drove into the penalty area after Gumny had chested it down to him, but his close-range shot was just wide.
Leverkusen keeper Matěj Kovář tipped Alexis Claude-Maurice’s effort to the side in the 70th minute, before Phillip Tietz, who had since come on, had a good headed chance in the 75th minute - but the effort was too central to cause any problems. At the other end, Dahmen needed to be on hand to keep out two half-chances for Jonas Hofmann (79’) and Amine Adli (89’).
It ended in a 2-0 defeat for Thorup’s side, their second defeat in the second half of the season. The focus now turns to Augsburg’s next home game against Holstein Kiel next Sunday, 4th May at 15:30 CEST.
