Baum: “We want to keep HSV at bay”
FCA head to Hamburg
First Team
02.04.2026, 14:45
FC Augsburg’s first game back after the international break sees them travel to face Hamburger SV on Saturday (15:30 CEST).
FCA will be looking to kick April off with some points, having lost their last three league games in a row. Augsburg sit in tenth place in the Bundesliga table, just one point ahead of this weekend’s opponents in 12th. “We want to keep HSV at bay and extend our lead on them if possible,” said head coach Manuel Baum. With regard to his side’s progress, he said: “We want to take that next step.”
Baum expects a close game. HSV have shown “a lot of stability recently,” are “versatile when going forwards,” can “press high” and are “having a good season as a newly promoted side.” FCA’s head coach sees Saturday’s game as “the first challenge after the international break that we need to overcome.” To do that, “full focus” is required. Around 3,000 FCA fans will travel to Hamburg to support their side.
Matsima making progress
Eleven players have returned from international duty in recent days. “There were a few tired faces, some disappointed, but also some happy ones,” said Baum. Chrislain Matsima was able to complete the first parts of team training, as he works his way back from a long spell on the sidelines due to injury. Yannik Keitel’s left-knee bursitis keeps him out of contention for Saturday’s squad, however Jeffrey Gouweleeuw is close to making his return. “We’ll talk to him before the game and see what the situation is,” Baum explained.
FCA will still have six Bundesliga games left after this weekend’s clash in Hamburg. The goal remains to get the most out of every single one. According to Baum: “If you want to win a Bundesliga game, everyone has to push themselves to the limit or even beyond. That’s what we work on every day in training.”
