Sunderland defeats FC Augsburg in pre-season fixture
FC Augsburg Prepare for Bundesliga Opener with Mixed Pre-Season Results
FC Augsburg, under the guidance of new coach Sandro Wagner, have had a busy pre-season in preparation for the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. The team has displayed a mix of impressive performances and challenging setbacks during their preparation.
The pre-season began on a high note, with FC Augsburg securing victories against Gersthofen (9-0), Memmingen (4-1), and Lustenau (2-0). However, a surprising 1-2 loss to RW Essen was followed by a rematch where Augsburg bounced back with a 4-1 win.
During an intense training camp in Austria, the team faced off against Crystal Palace, Pisa (Serie A newcomers), and Sunderland. The results were mixed, with a 1-3 loss and 1-0 win against Crystal Palace, a 2-2 draw against Pisa thanks to two goals from Steve Mounié, and a 0-1 loss at home against Sunderland.
The loss to Sunderland marked FC Augsburg's final dress rehearsal game before the official season begins. The only goal of the game was scored by Habib Diarra, a newly signed player for Sunderland. FC Augsburg failed to score any goals during the game, and striker Phillip Tietz missed a penalty in the 29th minute.
Despite the setback, young talents such as Noahkai Banks and Aiman Dardari have been impressing, with Dardari even earning a regular spot with the first team. Steve Mounié has also stood out, scoring both goals in the 2-2 draw against Pisa.
Tactically, Wagner has been focusing on implementing his ideas, particularly in defense, but the full integration of new signings is still a work in progress. The favoured formation in pre-season appears to be a 3-4-2-1 setup.
The next highlighted fixture for FC Augsburg is against SC Freiburg, which will be part of the Bundesliga start or immediate pre-season fixtures before the official campaign begins. The team is using these friendlies and initial competitive matches, such as the DFB-Pokal, to prepare for Bundesliga challenges including Freiburg.
On August 17th, FC Augsburg will face Hallescher FC in their next friendly match. The focus remains on fine-tuning the team's performance ahead of the highly anticipated Bundesliga opener against SC Freiburg.
In summary, FC Augsburg's pre-season results have been mostly positive, with wins over multiple lower-tier sides, mixed results against stronger opponents, and a loss to Premier League club AFC Sunderland in their final dress rehearsal game. The team is still adapting under new management, but promising signs, especially from young talents, are evident.
FC Augsburg will face European challenges as they prepare to compete in the 2025/26 Premier League, given their encounter with Sunderland, a Premier League club, during their pre-season. The team's focus now shifts towards the Bundesliga opener against SC Freiburg, with striker Steve Mounié anticipating a significant role.
