Gregoritsch: "We have come together as a team"
FCA forward up against his former club Bochum
First Team
02.12.2021, 14:19
Just a few weeks after playing them in the DFB-Pokal (2-2, 5-4 on penalties), FCA will take on VfL Bochum again on Saturday (15:30 CET). Whilst Markus Weinzierl wants to put things right after that defeat, Michael Gregoritsch loaded up on confidence ahead of the clash with his former club.
Most FCA fans will remember their last meeting with VfL Bochum very clearly, with the two teams playing in the second round of the DFB-Pokal five weeks ago. In a dramatic encounter, during which Augsburg came back from two goals down within minutes, the Fuggerstädter eventually lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout.
Markus Weinzierl also remembers the game at the end of October very well. “We played well in the second half and were the side that came closest to a winner in added time,” the FCA coach looked back on the game. Weinzierl said that they now want to put things right after the unlucky defeat, adding: “A win in the Bundesliga would mean more to me than in the Pokal.”
Weinzierl: “A team that fights for each other”
A lot has happened since the last fixture against Bochum. In the last four matches, FCA have picked up seven points. “I see an identity again and a team that fights and works for each other and believes until the very end,” said Weinzierl, praising the performances of late. Even in their most recent game away against Hertha (1-1), he saw a lot of things that pleased him.
Michael Gregoritsch played a big part in the point taken in Berlin with his equaliser in the seventh minute of added time. “The goal has given me a boost, of course, and has me feeling more confident,” said the 27-year-old, who wants to push for more appearances.
In the 2014/15 season, Gregoritsch spent a year plying his trade for Saturday’s opponents. “They have used the momentum they gained after being promoted, and have grown,” Weinzierl said of Bochum, who are currently three points ahead of Augsburg. “They rely on intensity, but also have quality individuals and are quick in transition.”
Oxford definitely out – Gouweleeuw still in quarantine
There are still some question marks in terms of personnel for the weekend. Mads Pedersen has been plagued by knee problems recently and the game will probably come too soon for Alfred Finnbogason. Reece Oxford definitely won’t play a part, whilst Felix Uduokhai is taking part in team training at least. Captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw remains in quarantine but still has no symptoms. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens with him,” said Weinzierl. Therefore, right-back Robert Gumny and Frederik Winther, who made his Bundesliga debut in Berlin, could start again in the centre of defence.
The team has proven several times this season that it can deal with absences. “We have come together as a team in the last few weeks,” Gregoritsch describes the side’s development of late. “We want to continue to do so.”
