With only 17 goals in the first half of the season, FC Augsburg’s biggest construction site is quickly identified. But the burden in attack should not lie solely on the shoulders of record transfer Ricardo Pepi, and the 15th-placed team is counting on two returnees.
The season did not go according to plan for Florian Niederlechner. After five games, the attacker had scored two goals, but only one more followed in the rest of the Hinserie – the fact that he is still FCA’s top scorer says a lot. Instead, his medical record filled up: A hernia was followed by a metatarsal contusion. “Flo only played with problems and in pain for months,” summarised coach Markus Weinzierl.
Pain-free training week
The joy was all the greater that the 31-year-old was always involved in the first training week of the new year and is apparently ready for a pain-free comeback on Saturday at TSG Hoffenheim. The upward trend in the game is working in his favour. While the Fuggerstädter created only 3.2 chances per 90 minutes in the first half of the Hinrunde up to matchday 9, they created 5.4 in the following eight appearances. The goal yield also increased from 0.6 to 1.5 goals per game in this period. Niederlechner and strike jewel Pepi are expected to contribute to the further improvement.
Finnbogason is brought in – With the Ü-30 faction out of the crisis?
The situation is a little different for Alfred Finnbogason. The permanent patient has only played 140 minutes in the current season. Muscular problems have affected the Icelander in recent months, and the 31-year-old is currently being introduced to team training with individual sessions. “When he is fit, he is an important factor. But we can’t chase him through all the games. He can also be decisive as a wild card,” Weinzierl emphasised.
Never the less, FCA are counting on the Ü-30 fraction in attack to end the lull in the opposition penalty area. “It’s clear that we want to increase our effectiveness and need goals. Both have proven that they can score goals. They make us more varied and harder to calculate,” Weinzierl said.
The difficult start also has positive aspects
The opening programme against TSG and then at home against Eintracht Frankfurt and in Leverkusen is a tough one, but it could also suit the Bavarian Swabians. After all, the games in December in Bochum (2:3) and Fürth (0:0) showed how difficult it is for FCA when they are given large shares of the game. “Games like that are not our strength, we still lack some individuality for that,” admitted Weinzierl. At least that worry, should be less of a concern for the club against the match-winning trio in January.
Dorsch and Klein cleared
Niklas Dorsch and substitute keeper Daniel Klein, meanwhile, have both been back in team training since this Wednesday. A PCR test on both them and Reece Oxford before the start of training had produced an unclear result that pointed to a corona infection. Both were able to clear themselves and leave isolation after consulting the health authorities. This does not yet apply to Oxford, but the centre-back is suspended anyway after receiving a 5th yellow card on Saturday.
