Dortmund vs Augsburg prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-01-21 14:30.
Back-to-back defeats to round off 2022 resulted in Borussia Dortmund starting 2023 nine points adrift of the top, and consequently their title hopes look all but over at the half-way stage. If there was anything to buoy Dortmund hopes it could be the fact that summer signing Sébastien Haller is finally set to make his competitive debut after recovering from testicular cancer, and a hat-trick for him in their final friendly against Basel shows he’s ready and raring to go.
Luckily for manager Edin Terzic, his side currently hold the longest unbeaten run of year-opening league games in Bundesliga history (W13, D5) so starting 2023 on the right foot looks more than possible. After plundering Union Berlin for full-back Julian Ryerson this week, Dortmund now look primed and ready to reel in some of the surprise packages still above them in the table, but first they will attempt to secure a fifth straight home league win over relegation-threatened Augsburg.
Anything other than a home win would be a shock considering Enrico Maaßen’s Augsburg are enduring the longest current winless run in the Bundesliga ahead of the restart (D3, L4). Ending that streak with a surprise win would perhaps take on extra significance for Maaßen, as he was actually offered this first senior management role after impressing during two years at the helm of Dortmund II.
But there’s no time for nostalgia as just one point separates Augsburg from the drop zone ahead of the round, and as they play last amongst the quintet of teams at the bottom, this could turn into a must-win game if they’re to end the weekend outside of the relegation zone. However with the lowest number of shots from open play (102) and the most shots against (179) in the Bundesliga, it is difficult to make a case for Augsburg despite their respectable away league record (W3, D1, L3).
Players to watch: Julian Brandt struck Dortmund’s first goal in their final game of 2022, yet three of his four scoring league appearances this season arrived in defeats (W1, L3). If there’s to be a difference maker for Augsburg it could be Ermedin Demirović, as three of the Bosnian’s five league goals have come in away wins – just one more goal will secure his best ever Bundesliga scoring season.
Hot stat: Augsburg have failed to win half of their league games when scoring first this season (W4, D1, L3).