Schmidt: “We will have to fight hard”

Saturday’s match against VfB Stuttgart (15:30 CEST) will be Martin Schmidt’s first home game as Augsburg’s head coach. Schmidt is looking for his first win at home, after a victory against Frankfurt last weekend. Martin Schmidt is looking forward to his first home game as Augsburg’s head coach. Schmidt and his team are seeking to pick up an important three points at home in front of a sold-out crowd in order to widen the gap to the relegation zone. “The end is not yet in sight, and anything could happen. We still have a long way to go, and can’t forget that we are only seven points clear of the relegation zone,” Schmidt said. Augsburg were able to pull off an upset win against Frankfurt, Schmidt’s first since taking over as head coach. “People didn’t expect much from us against Frankfurt, and we came out with a 3-1 win. Now, many people see us as the favourites against Stuttgart. It’s going to be a hard-fought match since both sides are aware of how important the result is,” Schmidt said. The plan for Stuttgart Every match counts in the fight against relegation. Martin Schmidt is looking for his team to remain calm as they sit in the midst of it. “The match against Frankfurt definitely gave us some self-confidence. We saw that we are capable of scoring three goals on the road, and that we can win. Every game is important for us, no matter who we are playing,” Schmidt said. Marco Richter played a key role against Frankfurt: his brace put Augsburg in the lead and was a decisive factor in securing the win. Richter is hoping to be just as effective against Stuttgart. “His confidence is high now, but he’s not over-confident," Schmidt said. "He wants to prove that not only can he score against Frankfurt, but that he can score against anyone.”