Weinzierl: "A tough opponent"
FCA host RB Leipzig in final home game of 2021
First Team
14.12.2021, 15:00
Just a couple days after winning 2-0 in Cologne, FC Augsburg are back in action as they host RB Leipzig on Wednesday (20:30 CET) in their final home game of the year. Head coach Markus Weinzierl is expecting a tough opponent, but believes his side can take something from the game.
After beating Köln last Friday, FCA were able to enjoy the rest of the weekend's Bundesliga action from the comfort of home, but had to watch as competitors Stuttgart and Berlin also picked up a win, however. According to Weinzierl, these results did nothing to take away from FCA's own triumph: "Things are close in the table, and we would be wise to focus only on ourselves," he said. "We don't need to look elsewhere, but instead focus on our performance."
The head coach has been pleased with how his team has performed in recent weeks. "We got off to a tough start, but are now in the midst of a better phase," he said. "We want to give it everything in these next two games and pick up as many points as possible in order to be in a good spot heading into the second half of the season." After facing Leipzig at home, FCA will travel to face SpVgg Greuther Fürth to close out the year on Saturday (15:30 CET).
Gouweleeuw suspended - Zeqiri could return
Weinzierl will be without Jefferey Gouweleeuw (yellow-card suspension), after the captain picked up his fifth yellow of the season against Köln. Felix Uduokhai (quarantine), Carlos Gruezo (knee issues), Florian Niederlechner (foot issue) and Alfred Finnbogason (muscle issue) will also all miss out. Meanwhile, Andi Zeqiri could return after being out with a hip issue.
In any case, the head coach will need to make changes to his centre-back pairing. Not an ideal scenario, given how strong Leipzig's attack can be. "They have a lot of quality and, based on their potential, are a top 3 team," said Weinzierl. "We will be up against a tough opponent." In their first game under new head coach Domenico Tedesco, RBL showed a clear improvement as they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-1.
"They looked freer and had a lot of fun with it," Weinzierl said as he offered his impression of the upcoming opponent. "We are the outsiders, but anyone who can beat Bayern can also hope to take points off Leipzig as well." Nearly four weeks ago, FCA handed the record champions a 2-1 defeat - a result that Weinzierl would certainly be happy with this week.
