Another draw for FCA as four goals shared against Hoffenheim

Despite having led 2-0 at one stage, FC Augsburg were held to a draw by TSG Hoffenheim in the opening game of matchday 29. All four goals came in the first half.

Manuel Baum made one change from the 1-1 draw in Hamburg last time out. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw made his return to the side after recovering from injury and replaced the suspended Keven Schlotterbeck in central defence. Han-Noah Massengo also missed out, as he was not yet fully fit after suffering from illness, while Nediljko Labrović was unavailable for personal reasons.

FCA made an energetic start and put the visitors under pressure early on. In the 11th minute, they got their reward for this strong start. Alexis Claude-Maurice held onto the ball well in midfield, dribbled forward and unleashed an effort on goal from just outside the area. His low, powerful shot found the bottom corner and put the hosts ahead.

Gregoritsch adds another just three minutes later

Hoffenheim looked to respond, but the Fuggerstädter remained on top and doubled their lead just three minutes after the opening goal. In the 14th minute, Arthur Chaves played a long ball towards the forward line from his own half. Michael Gregoritsch skilfully got on the end of the pass and did not wait long before getting his shot away. His first-time effort from over 20 yards out nestled perfectly into the bottom corner and doubled FCA’s advantage.

Hoffenheim improved after falling 2-0 behind and began to threaten the Augsburg goal more and more. In the 35th minute, FCA saw their lead reduced to 2-1. Robin Hranáč was afforded too much space in the middle at a Hoffenheim corner and his stooping header bounced past Finn Dahmen and into the net. The visitors remained dangerous after scoring. In the 42nd minute, Bazoumana Touré tried his luck in the box from a tight angle. His strike took Finn Dahmen by surprise and went in off the inside of the post, meaning the two teams were level when the half-time whistle sounded.

Claude-Maurice misses from the spot

It remained a hard-fought encounter after the break. The two sides constantly battled for the ball but neither could gain a clear advantage, even though both were launching regular attacks. One of Hoffenheim’s chances came from a free kick in a promising position (57’), while substitute Rodrigo Ribeiro had a good opportunity for the Fuggerstädter. His shot was deflected wide for a corner (69’).

The action became more and more frantic as the match went on, which made it difficult for either side to control possession for any length of time. Then, as the game drew to a close, FCA were handed a huge opportunity to take all three points. Anton Kade was brought down in the penalty area and referee Daniel Schlager pointed to the spot. Alexis Claude-Maurice took on the responsibility, but fired the penalty over the bar (84’). There were to be no more goals in the second half and the points were shared at the WWK ARENA.

FC Augsburg’s next match sees them travel to Leverkusen on Saturday, 18th April (15:30 CEST).

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