Following in the footsteps of VfL Bochum, Holstein Kiel are gradually settling into the relegation zone of the Bundesliga, leaving fans with little hope of retaining their top-flight status. Augsburg, meanwhile, are struggling to create chances in front of goal—the head-to-head with an underdog is unlikely to bring the Bavarians plentiful scoring opportunities.
The defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach (1:4) marked Holstein's fifth consecutive loss—during this spell, the Bundesliga newcomers have only scored three goals, suffering shutouts against Mainz (0:3) and RB Leipzig (0:2). In terms of xG, only Bochum are weaker than the team from Kiel (16.02 vs 14.99). It's evident that the management will give Marcel Rapp a few more chances, but without a change in results, the specialist might be dismissed.
Matches against Bayern Munich (0:3) and Bayer Leverkusen (0:2) highlighted Augsburg's instability when employing an opponent-focused tactic. Against the reigning German champions, they generated just 0.44 xG—lower xG figures in the last round were recorded by only two teams, including Holstein (0.32). Augsburg are yet to secure an away win, while they maintain a dreadful goal difference on the road (4-17).
At Holstein Kiel's venue, Augsburg will aim to control the ball, but their priority will be defence. The match in Kiel is expected to yield a limited number of chances—rare attacking flair from the underdogs is not anticipated.
