Liverpool begin their Europa League knock-out campaign against the inexperienced Augsburg who are enjoying their inaugural year in the Europa League, but who exactly are they?
Augsburg’s European story so far:
The Reds’ opponents, despite lacking continental experience, managed to get through a relatively tough Group L, finishing second behind a free-scoring Athletic Bilbao and ahead of Serbian side Partizan Belgrade and the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
The German club picked up nine points in their six games as they had an indifferent campaign winning three and losing three. After losing the opening two they won three of the remaining four matches to progress. The highlight of their campaign was the double done over AZ Alkmaar and their dramatic 89th minute win in Serbia which confirmed their place in the last 32.
Augsburg’s Paraguayan international striker, Raul Bobadilla, is the joint top goal-scorer in the Europa League this season with six goals and is certainly a player to look out for. Despite the Bavarian club’s Europa success, Jürgen Klopp will most likely have been relieved that the Reds missed his former side Borussia Dortmund or the current holders Sevilla.
Augsburg’s 2015-16 Bundesliga:
This season, Augsburg have certainly failed to live up to the level they set last season when the finished fifth in the Bundesliga. The German club currently sit 14th in the league and sit just one point above dreaded relegation play-off spot. They managed just six points from the opening twelvematches this season, only scoring 13 times, five of which came from the penalty spot.
However, they began to turn their season around with an emphatic 4-0 win at Stuttgart before following this up by winning three of their next four. The side’s indifferent campaign has continued as they failed to win any of their four games since the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break, drawing two and losing two. Like Liverpool, scoring has been a big problem for Augsburg as they have managed just 23 goals in 21 Bundesliga matches. The Reds managed just two more than that in their first 21 league fixtures this season.
Unsurprisingly, the German club have lacked a consistent goal-scorer in the league. Right-back Paul Verhaegh is the club’s top goalscorer with five goals, and all of these have come from the penalty spot. Raúl Bobadilla is the only player to score over three times this season from open play.
Augsburg’s key players:
Despite their uninspiring form Augsburg still have a number of players who could pose a real threat.
Caiuby (Left-Wing):
The Brazilian winger could be an integral part of Augsburg’s attacking line with his pace and flair. The 27-year-old will certainly be a difficult challenge for Nathaniel Clyne or whoever Klopp selects at right-back on Thursday.
Key strengths: Pace, shooting, dribbling
Marwin Hitz (Goalkeeper):
The 28-year-old ‘keeper will be keen to impress having conceded five in his last two games. Unlike his Liverpool counter-part Simon Mignolet, Hitz does not have the pressure and spotlight on him and this should work to his advantage. Despite his side’s inconsistent form he has been impressive between the sticks and has picked up seven clean sheets this season.
Raúl Bobadilla (Striker):
The Paraguayan striker could potentially be a handful for Liverpool’s unsettled defence. The 28-year-old has already scored six goals in as many matches in Augsburg’s Europa League campaign. However, he has struggled to match this scoring form in the Bundesliga and he has only scored four in eighteen outings in the league. The striker’s hit and miss performances means that it is difficult to guess which version of him will turn up. However, the quality of his finishing is evident and this highlights him as a threat the favourites will have to look out for.
Ragnar Klavan (Centre-back)
The experienced Estonian captain will be a very useful asset for Augsburg as they prepare for their maiden European knock-out stage tie. The defender is certainly one of Augsburg’s most experienced players with over 100 appearances for the club and last year’s Estonian player of the year will be a tough defender to beat for Liverpool attackers.
JURGEN KLOPP’S HEAD-TO-HEAD AGAINST AUGSBURG
As Mainz coach:
Played: 2
Won: 1
Drew: 1
Lost: 0
Goals For: 3
Against: 2
As Borussia Dortmund coach:
Played: 8
Won: 5
Drew: 2
Lost: 1
Goals For: 20
Against: 8
Total:
Played: 10
Won: 6
Drawn: 3
Lost: 1
Goals For: 23
Against: 10
