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Surprise package Augsburg primed for European push

James Thorogood
January 15, 2018

Backed by many to face a turbulent tussle for their Bundesliga lives, Augsburg now find themselves in a position to make a push for European qualification. But they'll need to continue exceeding expectations.

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Deutschland SV Werder Bremen v FC Augsburg - Bundesliga | Michael Gregoritsch Jubel
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose

As perennial underdogs in Germany's top flight, Augsburg regularly see their chances of survival written off  before a ball has been kicked. However, in every one of their six Bundesliga seasons to date they have managed to prove their doubters wrong, even clinching European qualification in the 2014/15 campaign.

- Best of Bundesliga: Matchday 18

- Cordova looking to grow in "one of world's best leagues"

-Impressive Augsburg defying the doubters

Baum returns to the good, old days

Die Függerstädter were one of just three top half sides, along with FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, to pick up three points on Matchday 18. In the current campaign, they've been a far cry from the side that spent much of last season nervously looking over their shoulders.

Bundesliga HSV Augsburg
Ja Cheol Koo scored the only goal of the game as Augsburg beat Hamburg on Matchday 18.Image: Getty Images/S.Widmann

Currently sat in mid-table limbo, Manuel Baum has rediscovered many of the qualities that made Augsburg such undesirable opponents under the likes of Jos Luhukay and Markus Weinzierl, drawing comparisons to the side that finished fifth two seasons ago. 

The backline are once again exhibiting disciplined performances, limiting the individual errors that proved so costly last season, but it's the goalscoring department in which their improvement has been most significant.

Aided by the tactical flexibility of a base 4-2-3-1 formation capable of morphing into either a 3-5-2 off the ball or a 3-4-3 on it, Baum has unleashed a previously untapped source of goals.

A quartet in perfect harmony

Summer signing Michael Gregoritsch, the club’s second most expensive transfer, has added an element of creative flair to a previously one-dimensional frontline. The glimpses of potential seen during his time in Hamburg have increased in regularity and, after just 17 games for Augsburg, the young Austrian is just two goals shy of matching the tally he amassed over 55 games with HSV.

Perhaps more impressive has been Baum's ability to get the best out of a trio of players few pundits would have expected to leave such an indelible mark on the campaign.

With injuries a thing of the past for both, Caiuby's pace and physical presence have seen him excel as an outlet on the left wing, while Alfred Finnbogasson's scoring boots have been taken out of storage.

Both players would perhaps not be enjoying as prolific a season were it not for the man tying it all together: Philipp Max. Linked with Schalke, Chelsea and Manchester City after an impressive start to the season, Max has unquestionably been the Bundesliga's best left back this season. Likely to be Augsburg's next big money sale, the 24-year-old has racked up nine assists in 2017/18 - no other Bundesliga player has more than six.

Augsburg need bigger aspirations

The four aforementioned players have combined for 13 of Augsburg's 28 goals this season. When Augsburg qualified for Europe back in 2015, they boasted 16 different goalscorers, but just three players who had a hand in 10 goals or more over the course of the season.

It's fair to say though, that the majority of fans would prefer the harmonious quartet of Max, Gregoritsch, Caiuby and Finnbogasson to the trio of Halil Altintop, Tobias Werner and Raul Bobadilla.

Providing they avoid relegation, Augsburg will have once again achieved their season's targets. However, with just seven points separating second-placed Leipzig and Hertha Berlin in 11th, more is on offer for them. The question now is, can the club and their star quartet keep pulling the strings with expectations on the rise?

 

James Thorogood Sports reporter and editor, host of Project FußballJMThorogood