Football – Germany – Bundesliga
Friday 29th August 2014 – Kickoff: 2030hrs
Augsburg go into tonight’s encounter with Borussia Dortmund on the back of an opening day 0-2 away defeat at Hoffenheim which wasn’t the sort of reaction that manager Markus Weinzierl was looking for after their cup defeat.
Augsburg suffered an early exit in the DFB Pokal at the hands of Regionalliga outfit Magdeburg in a 0-1 loss, so tonight’s hosts have lost back-to-back matches when they take on Dortmund this evening.
Augsburg performed well last season and finished in a very creditable 8th place, but the early signs this season suggest that it could be a long tough season for Weinzierl’s men particularly having lost some key personnel during the transfer window. Top striker Andre Hahn has since left for Borussia Monchengladbach, and this has severely depleted their attacking stocks as a result – hence the two losses so far I daresay.
Visitors Borussia Dortmund finished last season in a strong second place in the Bundesliga to powerhouse Bayern Munich and will be looking for a similar return this season. however, their first match of the new season ended in defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, conceding the fastest goal ever in the history of the Bundesliga in the process!
Dortmund eventually lost the match 0-2 but they’re expected to bounce back in tonight’s clash at Augsburg with the depth and quality of the squad at manager Klopp’s disposal. They have registered five wins from their last six away matches with notable wins at Hannover, Stuttgart and the German champions Bayern Munich.
Adrian Ramos is expected to return to the squad tonight and may well feature up front with Italian striker Immobile.
Quite simply, Borussia Dortmund should have too much quality for their opponents tonight, and I’m expecting the visitors to win this one perhaps 2-1.
Pick: Borussia Dortmund straight win @ 1.76 Pinnacle
