Bundesliga or UCL? That Is the Question For Bayern Munich vs Augsburg

Augsburg vs Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich take on Augsburg this weekend, but they could have their eyes set on next week’s Champions League showdown with Liverpool.

The Bavarians continue to mount the pressure on Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race, and they have a great chance to cut the deficit further when they visit 15th-placed Augsburg at the WWK Arena.

However, Niko Kovac has a decision to make on how he will line up his squad against Augsburg, with their high-profile match with Liverpool just three days away from the league fixture.

Augsburg are considered heavy underdogs even though they are playing at home, but they will take every chance they can get as they try to pull away from the drop zone.

Talking Points

Where will Bayern’s focus be?

Although three days might seem enough for Bayern Munich to rest their players after a game, there are plenty of factors to consider.

First and foremost, Kovac can’t risk injuring his stars ahead of a Champions League game, especially with their aspirations of making a run for the title.

Of course the Bundesliga is equally important, but European glory may weigh more for them this time after winning the German top flight the past six seasons. For what it’s worth, the reigning German champions last won the UCL in 2013.

Another thing to consider for Bayern and Kovac is that they will be the visitors first against Liverpool—this after their trip to Augsburg.

With that said, Bayern’s top stars really need all the rest they could get before taking on the Premier League giants.

The team seems to have made their move on how they will approach the Augsburg game. The likes of Arjen Robben, Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski missed the club’s recent training session, possibly signifying that they would be sidelined or would see limited minutes against Augsburg.

Robert Lewandowski is currently rank third in Bundesliga top scorers — Robert Lewandowski in action for Bayern Munich against VfB Stuttgart

Nothing is set in stone yet, but it’s not wrong to expect that Bayern will make some key changes which could make them a little bit vulnerable.

Augsburg posing no threat

Augsburg will hope that Bayern would opt to rest their stars when they visit, especially now that they are struggling to find their footing.

Indeed, fighting a shorthanded Bayern squad is Augsburg’s only hope to take some points against the Bundesliga giants. After all, they are currently holding a record of four wins, six draws and 11 losses.

Augsburg did manage to hold Bayern to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting this campaign, but this is a different Bavarian team we are talking about—having beaten Schalke 04 by a 3-1 scoreline in their most recent outing.

In contrast, the Fuggerstadter have made the Bundesliga 2019 news headlines for the wrong reasons, taking only one win in their last 12 league fixtures. They even conceded four goals in a loss to 10th-ranked Werder Bremen over the weekend.

Manuel Baum’s outfit has 10-goal man Alfred Finnbogason to lead the attack, but he needs to recapture his form quickly after scoring a measly three goals in their last 10—those three markers also came in just one game.

History

Bayern are unarguably the best club the German top flight has ever produced, so it’s not surprising to see them dominate their head-to-head record against Augsburg.

Out of their 15 Bundesliga meetings, Bayern won 12 times and lost twice. Their draw last September was the only stalemate they played against each other.

The Bavarians averaged at least three goals in their victories over Augsburg, with their most memorable performance a 6-0 drubbing at the Allianz Arena back in the 2016-17 season. Lewandowski had a hat-trick back then, while Thomas Muller chipped in a double.

Betting Tip

	Augsburg vs Bayern Munich	Under 3.25 @ 1.96
	February 16, 03:30 (GMT+8)

As expected, Bayern are overwhelming favourites at SBOBET, with the Bundesliga 2019 odds giving Augsburg no chance at all.

Although it’s hard to disagree with the numbers given the difference in quality and depth of both teams, it’s also difficult to be comfortable betting on Bayern Munich due to the uncertainties about their lineup and availability of players.

I don’t think Augsburg have what it takes to upset Bayern, but my gut feeling tells me it won’t be as one-sided as what the odds suggest. Besides, having already drawn with Bayern, Augsburg know what they need to do on both ends of the pitch.

I don’t think there will be plenty of goals here, so I’m putting the smart money on the Under/Over market for this game.