Thorup: “We’re taking plenty of confidence into the game”
FCA host the league leaders
First Team
02.04.2025, 15:30
FC Augsburg will open matchday 28 at home against FC Bayern München on Friday evening (20:30 CEST), with the WWK ARENA fully sold out ahead of the game.
“A Friday night under the floodlights in a sold-out stadium — what more could you want?” head coach Jess Thorup commented in the lead up to the match. Last weekend, his side were able to extend their unbeaten streak to an impressive 11 games, setting themselves up well for a clash against the current league leaders.
“We’re taking plenty of confidence into the game, after having gone 11 matches without defeat,” Thorup said. However, the Dane is expecting to see an improved performance from his side, as he wasn’t pleased with how they played in the first half against Hoffenheim last weekend. “We need to manage to get back to the basics on the pitch and look for opportunities to attack,” the head coach noted. If FCA manage to do so, then Thorup is expecting it to be an exciting and evenly matched game.
Thorup: “Everyone is available”
The head coach will have a full squad to choose from ahead of Friday’s match. Mergim Berisha, who returned to team training last week, could return to the matchday squad for the first time since his injury. “I didn’t want to take any risks last weekend, but he’s now an option for us again,” Thorup said. Berisha scored the winning goal the last time that FCA beat Bayern at home in September 2022 (1-0).
The league leaders will be without several members of their backline, with Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito all sidelined with injury. At the same time, Thorup warned that “Bayern have so many top-quality players, so we need to keep an eye on all of them.” In particular, FCA will need to find a way to keep Harry Kane quiet, after the striker scored all three goals in a 3-0 win for FCB against the Függerstädter earlier this season.
