Thorup: “Perform on the road the way we do at home”

Kicking off the second half of the season at BORUSSIA-PARK

FC Augsburg will travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach to kick off the second-half of their 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign on Sunday evening (17:30 CET). Head coach Jess Thorup has set some targets for the team to achieve over the upcoming 17 matches.

“We have to show that we’re also capable of picking up points away from home against a strong opponent,” Thorup explained, hoping to improve on FCA’s current record away from the WWK ARENA. His mantra is to “perform on the road the way we do at home!” While Gladbach’s most recent fixture saw them come out on top in a 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart and increase their unbeaten streak at BORUSSIA-PARK to eight, FCA fell to defeat against top-of-the-table Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

With the first half of the season complete, there are currently two points and two spots between the sides in the Bundesliga table, with FC Augsburg occupying twelfth position with 18 points on the board. On the back of a strong defensive performance against Leverkusen, Thorup is now looking for his team to make the most of their chances on the ball: “We can’t just sit back for 90 minutes and look to play on the break, we have to work on our own performance in possession.”

Gouweleeuw’s contract extension is a “good sign”

The 53-year-old was visibly pleased about Jeffrey Gouweleeuw extending his contract, which will see the Dutchman remain at FCA until 30th June 2025 with the option of an additional season. “Jeff is an experienced player and he performed well in the first half of the season. His contract extension is a good sign,” remarked Thorup, who will be able to count on the centre-back for the clash against Gladbach.

Nikas Dorsch will be absent from the squad at the weekend due to suspension, and has used the time away to undergo a minor procedure on his adductors. Thorup is yet to reveal who will be standing in for the 26-year-old, adding: “We have various options.” FCA’s head coach has rewatched the 4-4 goalfest from the first half of the season, but he is under the impression that “the game isn’t important anymore, as we’re focusing on the future.”