FC Augsburg

Elvis Rexhbecaj: “It was a very strong performance from us. We started well and kept that up after half time. In the end, it was admittedly quite close, but we generally didn’t concede a lot of chances, so we ultimately deserved to win. We’re now unbeaten in six games. First, we’ll enjoy this evening and then from tomorrow we’ll be fully focused on Bremen!”

In freezing conditions, FCA head coach Jess Thorup made eleven changes to his starting line-up for the friendly against the third-division side. FCA threatened in front of goal for the first time in the first half through Nathanaël Mbuku, whose right-footed effort hit the crossbar (25’). Mert Kömür had another chance to put his side ahead around ten minutes before the interval, but Unterhaching’s goalkeeper was able to deny him (37’).

Head coach Jess Thorup made two changes to his starting line-up following last weekend’s 1-1 draw in Berlin, bringing in Fredrik Jensen and Kevin Mbabu. Robert Gumny and Irvin Cardona were left out of the matchday squad due to illness. 

After heavy snowfall blanketed parts of Bavaria in recent days, there were doubts about whether or not the match would be able to take place. With the help of fans, staff and various contractors, the WWK ARENA was able to cleared of snow in time for kick off. A total of 26,107 spectators were in attendance on a cold and wintery Sunday night, as the match got off to an evenly-matched start. 

The first goal of the night was scored by the hosts, as Felix Uduokhai scored following a free kick from midfield. However, it was then disallowed due to Jeffrey Gouweleeuw being in an offside position (28’). Seven minutes later, FCA would find the back of the net again, as Ermedin Demirović won the ball and found Jensen. The latter coolly slotted home the opener, netting his first goal of the season in the process (35’).

During the week, winter has well and truly arrived in Ausgburg, with the stadium covered with white snow. However, these conditions haven’t affected preparations for the upcoming game against Frankfurt. “The grounds men have done a superb job and it wasn’t a problem to train on the pitch despite the snow,” FCA head coach Jess Throrup explained, displaying his satisfaction. 

Thorup made two changes to his side from the 1-1 draw against TSG Hoffenheim. Fredrik Jensen was ruled out with illness and replaced by Arne Engels. The other alteration saw Thorup recall Iago to the starting XI, meaning Ruben Vargas started on the bench after a busy international break for the Swiss winger.

Niklas Dorsch: “It was a chaotic game, but that’s effectively what the coach told us it would be. We controlled possession a lot in the first half and deserved to take the lead. However, unlike in recent weeks, we didn’t start the second half well, which we’ll need to analyse. Nevertheless, we kept them at bay for a long time and we’ve become a team known for being tough to play against. We want to keep proving that we are in our upcoming matches.”

No one was sat with their feet up at the WWK ARENA during the international break. In fact, quite the opposite: head coach Jess Thorup used the time off to analyse the past few league games. “We needed this week to improve on every aspect of our game,” explained the 53-year-old. Since joining the club, Thorup has overseen a clear improvement in the team’s performance both in and out of possession, as well as in their challenge success rate. Nevertheless, the head coach is not willing to rest on his laurels following the recent wins. “There are many things that we can improve on. Our desire to win always has to be present,” the Dane emphasised. One major target still remains, which is to come away with a clean sheet for the first time this season.”

Only Arne Maier and Masaya Okugawa will be absent from the squad due to prolonged injury spells. A serious injury was ruled out during the week for the Japanese midfielder, who had to be brought off around 20 minutes into the 5-2 friendly win over SSV Jahn Regensburg. “For Arne, it will take another couple of weeks, but he’s already got his boots on and is back on the training pitch,” shared Thorup.

Dion Beljo, who was added to the Croatia squad on Sunday and did not make an appearance in the game, celebrated qualification for the EUROs with his compatriots, following a narrow 1-0 victory over Armenia. With the victory, the 2018 World Cup runners-up finished second in Group D behind Turkey and booked their place at the upcoming EUROs in Germany. 

The 25-year-old played a key role in helping his country qualify, having put his side ahead in their 1-1 draw with Kosovo, as well as in their 1-1 draw against Israel three days prior. The two points earned from these matches are enough to ensure that Switzerland will finish in the top two in Group I, with one match left to play against group leader Romania.

FCA head coach Jess Thorup had to do without six international in total for the friendly against Regensburg, which simultaneously meant that four players from the U23 were in the squad.