Bundesliga: Augsburg vs Union Berlin! Is the coach’s contract extension bad news? Why I’m worried about the away team

Our first topic today isBundesliga: Augsburg vs Union Berlin!

On the surface, there’s good news for Union Berlin:They officially announced with a huge headline photo that they have extended head coach Baumgart’s contract.

Baumgart truly performed well, taking charge during Union’s nine-game winless slump last season, securing their survival, and this season lifting them into the top half, pleasing both team and fans.

But the problem is in that “pleasure.”

This contract extension might actually not be good news for today’s match.

Extending the coach’s contract early is obviously because of satisfaction.

But human nature being what it is, once satisfied, people tend to relax and lose their edge.

Especially under today’s circumstances:A tight schedule, playing away, and harsh weather—cold with an icy ground warning.

So, will Union Berlin, known for their iron will, become less tough? Will their attitude remain firm enough?

At least, here’s a fact we can see—Baumgart was late by an hour to yesterday’s final pre-match training, and the press conference was delayed by 32 minutes.

Augsburg were crushed by Mönchengladbach last game,mainly due to a poor attitude.

Coach Baum said many players didn’t realize the current situation nor mentally prepared for relegation as the season goal; they still saw themselves as mid-table and could afford mistakes.

Captain Schlottbeck angrily stated some players didn’t want to win.

To put it bluntly, Augsburg has been too comfortable for over a decade, finishing around 11th or 12th in recent seasons, neither climbing higher nor falling lower, lacking ambition and just coasting along.

Before the winter break, they played some decent matches and earned points, but the overall sense of crisis in the team was weak.

After a long break, their minds seemed to wander, and their attitude was not serious.

But after a 4-0 thrashing, they received a harsh wake-up call, and the whole team might have been jolted awake.

Coach Baum also mentioned he has intensified measures, adopting stricter feedback and holding discussions at individual, group, and team levels.

Especially since this match is on Thursday, added by broadcaster demand.

This kind of match is new for both teams, as neither has played a Bundesliga game on Thursday before in their history.

Augsburg welcomes it, facing heavy criticism and pressure after their heavy defeat, eager to quickly erase the shame.

But Union Berlin, known for being strong at home and weak away, and comfortably mid-table without much at stake, might be less motivated.

At least personally, I don’t quite trust their attitude.

Here’s a point—Baumgart has repeatedly shown he struggles against weaker teams.

The top seven in Bundesliga generally qualify for European competitions, considered strong teams.

Union Berlin performs very well against these strong teams.

If you separate Union Berlin and the top seven into a league, Union would be upper-mid table, even stronger than Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, and Leipzig.

So calling Union Berlin a “giant killer” isn’t far off.

But if you separate Union Berlin and the bottom seven into another league?

Union Berlin would only be mid-lower table, winning just 2 out of 6 matches and scoring only 5 goals.

Union has a characteristic: lowest possession rate and passing accuracy in Bundesliga, and the fourth fewest clear chances created.

They rely on a very defensive, resolute counter-attacking style.

Although against strong teams, their counterattacks are very efficient and often deadly.

But they have a weakness—they fear tactical fouls from opponents.

Because their chances are so rare and precious, any disruption by fouls is very damaging.

Coincidentally, Augsburg is a team that dares to take cards, leading Bundesliga with 44 yellow cards.

Union Berlin has only won once in their top-five fouling games this season; facing Augsburg today might be tough.

So, although there’s a big performance gap this season between the two,

today’s match attitude might also differ greatly. Will Union Berlin, safe in the table and freshly renewed with their coach, relax?

Can Augsburg satisfy their fans? What do you think? Personally, I hope they can fight for at least a draw or a win at home.

Alright, for today’s other matches, I will still send my written opinions tonight. If anything’s unclear, feel free to ask me. Let’s “watch the game with understanding,” see you then!

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