The fans were served. After the 6-0 defeat against RB Leipzig, Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner surprised everyone with his still quite positive view of things. The chosen path should be continued.
There was no sign of self-doubt in Sandro Wagner, even after the trainee trainer’s toughest hit to date. 0:6 – until Saturday, FC Augsburg had never lost at home in 15 years of Bundesliga football as against RB Leipzig. It was “a waddle,” as Wagner himself said. But the 37-year-old has no doubts about his path. And those responsible at FCA also continue to believe in the path with Wagner.
When the reporter asked whether he still felt 100 percent support, the former assistant coach of the national team smiled smugly and then answered loudly and clearly: “Yes!” When asked, Wagner elaborated: “Because it’s the path we want to take. And especially with the young team, everyone knows that there can be a crunch.”
Cocky against Leipzig’s turbo kicker
Against the young turbo-kickers from RB Leipzig who were getting more and more into a flow, Wagner’s courageous approach to the game led to disaster. It was rather cocky to attack far up front and then be “brutally” countered and “punished for every mistake,” as midfielder Robin Fellhauer groaned.
Almost every Leipzig shot was a hit. After 22 minutes it was 0:3. Boom! The naive Augsburg team, including their coach, didn’t even notice that they were beating themselves. “It felt really strange,” said Wagner. Because he actually thought his team was doing well in the game. In the end, for example, they were on par with Leipzig in terms of shots on goal – but not in terms of yield.
All five Leipzig offensive players Yan Diomande, Rômulo, Antonio Nusa, Christoph Baumgartner and Assan Ouédraogo were able to score to their hearts’ content against an overwhelmed FCA defense. FCA goalkeeper Finn Dahmen, who was recently invited to the national team twice, was no longer a source of support. He made a particularly bad mistake when Castello Lukeba conceded his sixth goal.
Bayern hunter? RB coach Werner smiles
RB coach Ole Werner saw effectiveness “close to optimum” in Leipzig’s highest Bundesliga away win. After 19 points from the last seven games, the question was inevitable as to whether the second-placed team now feels like a Bayern hunter?
Werner smiled and then replied dryly in northern German: “We feel like we are RB Leipzig and are happy that we are getting more and more of our football on the pitch and that it is also leading to points. That is the most important thing for us.”
Werner also had to endure a 6-0 debacle at FC Bayern at the start in Leipzig. Since then, however, the newly formed RB team has developed rapidly. Can Wagner do that in Augsburg at a lower level and with a less high-quality squad?
Sandro Wagner: “A 6-0 loss hurts, but we can do it”
The man with the big ego believes in it. “Hopefully the carryover into the next few weeks is that we remain clear, that we remain stable,” he said. “We’ll price in the setback after four points and continue on the path – and hopefully we’ll be rewarded. A 0:6 hurts, but we can do it.”
Augsburg’s sports director Benjamin Weber reiterated his belief in Wagner and their shared path – “until it works.” It’s about “remaining convinced of the way things are done,” emphasized the 42-year-old.
FCA professional Rieder: “We are still in the discovery phase”
The fans reacted angrily after the fifth defeat of the season. At the fence in the corner, the FCA professionals had to listen to some harsh words, as Fellhauer and teammate Fabian Rieder reported: “The Ultras were served.”
They demand a reaction in the two home games with which the English week continues in the DFB Cup on Tuesday against VfL Bochum and on Friday in the league against Borussia Dortmund. The players – like Wagner – continue to believe in the common path. “It’s a completely different style of play,” said Rieder and asked for patience with the team and coach: “We are still in the discovery phase.”
In the video: The highlights of the game FC Augsburg – RB Leipzig
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