FCA lose 2-0 in Bremen

First defeat of Thorup’s time in charge

FC Augsburg suffered their first defeat under head coach Jess Thorup on Saturday afternoon. The side lost 2-0 away at SV Werder Bremen.

Thorup made one change to the side that started the 2-1 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt. Ruben Vargas replaced Iago on the left-wing, who was unable to travel with the team to Bremen due to muscular problems. Sven Michel wasn’t in the squad through illness.

FCA wanted to build on their good form against SVW, who had recently lost games against Leverkusen (3-0) and away to Stuttgart (2-0). Both team set up defensively to start, with little goalmouth action in the opening 20 minutes. Following a left-footed Niklas Dorsch shot which went wide of the target (23’), Phillip Tietz had the opportunity to put FCA into the lead. The attacker attempted a lob after a mistake from Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, but his effort went wide of the left-hand post. At the other end, it was Werder who took the lead – Niklas Stark headed home a Marvin Ducksch corner at the near post (39’).

Ducksch makes it two, first game of the season for Mbuku

There were no changes for either side at half time. Werder remained on the front foot having taken the lead, and had another good chance through Jens Stage, who missed from the edge of the box from a corner (53’). Thorup’s side struggled to create chances and went 2-0 behind in the 65th minute. With an FCA double change ready to come on standing on the sidelines, Ducksch powered home a header following a cross from the right wing. Nathanaël Mbuku celebrated his first appearance of the season in the closing stages of the game and there was not much more to come, apart from an Arne Engels shot from the right-hand corner of the box which crashed against the crossbar (86’).

FCA remain ninth in the table, and will play Borussia Dortmund this coming week (Saturday, 16th December, 15:30 CET).