This Saturday brings several crucial fixtures in the German top flight and one of these features the upcoming clash between lowly Augsburg and 7th placed visitors, Cologne, at the WWK Arena with a precious three points at stake for both teams.
Looking at the hosts first, and Augsburg currently occupy a lowly 14th place in the Bundesliga standings and just two places above the relegation play-off spot.
But last week’s 2-0 win away from home at Bochum has helped hand the hosts a valuable seven-point cushion above the relegation zone ahead of this weekend’s action in the German top flight.
Overall results have been pretty inconsistent where Augsburg have been concerned as the hosts have managed to collect just four wins out of their last 10 matches.
But their victories against Arminia Bielefeld, Wolfsburg, Mainz and Bochum should at least have steered the hosts to safety.
Augsburg have also lost just twice in their last eight games on home soil at their WWK Arena but they lost 3-2 at home against Cologne in their last meeting on home turf.
Cologne also recorded a win in last weekend’s Bundesliga action when they dealt out a 3-1 home win against strugglers, Arminia Bielefeld, which also made it three league wins on the trot in the domestic top flight for the visitors.
Previous wins against Mainz 3-2 at home and a 3-1 win on the road at Borussia M’gladbach make up the other two victories in recent weeks and the visitors will be eyeing off another three-point haul this Saturday when they make their way to the WWK Arena to face Augsburg.
Cologne find themselves within just a single point of the top six in the Bundesliga and a win on Saturday could help lift the visitors up into European competition reckoning if other results go their way.
Cologne have also produced a mixed bag of results in recent times but having achieved five wins out of their last 10 matches overall, they may just shade their hosts for the spoils in this encounter.
Results away from home have also been steady as Cologne have suffered just two losses in their last 10 outings on their travels which were both at top six opposition (RB Leipzig and Union Berlin), so they stand a good chance of grabbing a vital result here this weekend.