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FBL-GER-BUNDESLIGA PREVIEW
Dortmund eager to learn from Bayern slip-up at Augsburg
BERLIN, Feb 28, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Lucien Favre says his Bundesliga leaders Borussia
Dortmund must learn from Bayern Munich’s stumble against Friday’s opponents Augsburg to
stay ahead in the tense title race.
With just under a third of the season left, recent poor results have slashed Dortmund’s
lead from nine to just three points before Friday’s trip south to Augsburg, where Bayern
came perilously close to a shock defeat a fortnight ago.
The defending champions leaked two goals from crosses, including a weak own-goal by Leon
Goretzka 13 seconds into the Bavarian derby, and needed two Kingsley Coman goals to draw
level before David Alaba scored the winner in a 3-2 victory.
Dortmund had their own close shave at home to Augsburg last October in a seven-goal
thriller after replacement Paco Alcacer claimed a hat-trick by drilling home a stunning
96th-minute free-kick to seal a dramatic 4-3 win.
Augsburg sit just above the relegation places, but their winger Philipp Max still found
lots of space on the flanks against Bayern and Favre, Dortmund’s head coach, expects a few
more surprises from Manuel Baum’s side.
“Augsburg played very well the last time we faced them, they change their tactics
regularly,” said Favre on Wednesday.
“Against Bayern, they played some high risk football and caused a few problems. Augsburg
have a lot of goal chances in every game.”
– Last Spurs’ tune-up –
This will be Dortmund’s final chance to tune up before next Tuesday’s all-or-nothing
Champions League clash at home to Tottenham Hotspur with the Germans needing to overturn a
3-0 deficit after being thumped in the last 16, first leg tie at Wembley.
Dortmund hope to welcome back Marco Reus, their captain and chief goal-scorer, at
Augsburg after missing nearly four weeks with a thigh strain, during which his side went
five games without a win, but Lukasz Piszczek is out with a foot injury.
Last Sunday’s 3-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen, when stand-in skipper Mario Goetze and
England winger Jadon Sancho supplied key goals, ended Dortmund’s slump.
“It was important to win again,” explained the Swiss coach.
“Leverkusen played very well, but we’re always learning and everyone was a part of
that.”
On Saturday, Bayern, who have won ten of their last 11 league games, have a tricky away
trip to faltering Borussia Moenchengladbach, who inflicted a stunning 3-0 defeat on the
Bavarian giants at the Allianz Arena when the sides met in October.
Dieter Hecking’s Gladbach sit third, but stumbled in recent weeks by crashing to 3-0
defeats against Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg either side of a 1-1 draw at Eintracht
Frankfurt.
Bayern hope to have a host of stars fit after missing the start of the week with illness.
Both goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich were absent on Monday with flu while
forwards Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski sat out Tuesday’s session with upset
stomachs.
Fixtures (all times 1430 unless stated)
Friday
Augsburg v Borussia Dortmund (1930)
Saturday
Schalke v Fortuna Duesseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen v Freiburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v
Hoffenheim, Hertha Berlin v Mainz, Nuremberg v RB Leipzig, Borussia Moenchengladbach v
Bayern Munich (1730)
Sunday
Stuttgart v Hanover 96, Wolfsburg v Werder Bremen (1700)
BSS/AFP/AU/09:15 hrs