Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Bundesliga match.
The hosts fought for a top-four finish last season and secured a place in the Europa League, and now they have a chance to reinforce their status as a stable side. Augsburg, on the other hand, had a patchy campaign, finishing in the lower half of the table and come into the new season simply hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s issues.
Freiburg
Freiburg had the best campaign in their Bundesliga history, finishing just a few points shy of the Champions League spots. Over the summer, the club managed to retain its core squad and looked solid in pre-season (two wins and two draws). In the DFB-Pokal, they beat Lotte (2:0). Head-to-head, Freiburg have a huge advantage over Augsburg: seven wins in the last nine meetings.
Augsburg
Augsburg ended last season in 12th place with one of the league’s weakest attacks—just 35 goals in 34 rounds. The team never faced a direct relegation battle but failed to show any real consistency. They played nine friendlies in pre-season with mixed results and beat Hallescher (2:0) in the DFB-Pokal.
Freiburg vs Augsburg Prediction
In terms of squad depth, quality of football and head-to-head record, Freiburg are the clear favourites. They are strong at home, have historically dominated Augsburg and are unlikely to slip up in the opening round. Augsburg rarely score against this opponent and their defence tends to collapse away from home.
