FC Augsburg - 1.FC Köln

One of the biggest surprise teams last Season was of course FC Augsburg. They were able to play their best Season ever in club history and got rewarded with an European Spot. In these European games they made a good job and knocked out only against Liverpool who was very close anyway. I said it already in some previews that this additional games cost a lot of energy which is missing in League games and smaller clubs can not handle this anyway. All, if Mainz, Freiburg, Frankfurt, Aachen and so on had a lot of problems after such a good Season and Augsburg has it too and has it already. Of course they are 5 Points ahead of the red zone but this is only due to their good run of 3 wins in a row what put them out of the big trouble. Overall they are very close to avoid the worst case but for this they need at least 1 win from the last 3 matches. Maybe a draw can be enough too, as the other teams behind them play against each other in the upcoming weeks as well. Nevertheless Coach Weinzierl is doing a great job and is loved in Augsburg but he is aiming for a new challenge. Maybe he leaves the club at the end of the Season despite a contract. Before this happen they have to do the work and bring it to a successful end. The team looked much better lately and they have the power and motivation back. With captain Verhagh miss they an important key player on the wing.

After Cologne was promoted they are going step by step and this is the right way for success. Last Season they had some problems until the end but this time they are already safe 3 Rounds before the Season ends. Coach Stöger and Manager Schmadtke did a great job so far but they want more of course. The Season has not end and they are trying to put some pressure on the teams above them because with a win they can get very close to an European Spot. Despite the 5 Points difference they are motivated enough to walk on because they have nothing to lose. They want to be as serious as they can and bring the best lineup on the pitch. No experiments for the last 3 games as Stöger said. He can count on almost all players, the only defender Mavraj is not ready to train and therefore a big doubt for the game. But with Heintz returns a central defender, so that this should be not the biggest problem at all. The offense is on fire scoring 3 and 4 in the last two games what is much for Cologne who has normally problems to score more as 2 in a game. 

Both teams are on fire at the moment and maybe on the same level. What I see for a bit different is that Augsburg loves more if they can play against teams who are more active as Cologne is. They must go out and be active while Cologne can sit back and go for their fast counter attacks what brings them in a very good position in my eyes. This can be key here and decide the game. For this reason we are going with the HC on our side and Cologne this time.

PICK: 1.FC Köln AHC +0,25 @ 1,89 (3 Units / Flat Stake)