Baum: “We want to put things right straight away”
Home game against Union Berlin
First Team
13.01.2026, 15:45
FC Augsburg welcome 1. FC Union Berlin to the WWK ARENA on Thursday evening (20:30 CEST) for their first home match after the winter break and the final fixture of the first half of the season. Following the defeat in Mönchengladbach, the objective is clear – the Red-Green-Whites are determined to show a response on home soil.
Head coach Manuel Baum is glad there is a quick turnaround. “We’ve now got the chance to put things right straight away,” he said. “We’re looking forward to two home games in a row and we want to take three points against Union.”
In reviewing the Gladbach game, clarity and decisiveness were the main talking points. “We were missing some of the basics against Borussia,” Baum admitted. The team have been working hard on that since – not only on the training pitch, but also through individual and group discussions. “We’ve taken our lessons from it and we’re constantly questioning how we can improve.”
Baum described FCA’s opponents for matchday 17 as a “really tricky team to face.” The Köpenick side sit ninth in the table with 22 points and recently came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Mainz. “Union are very strong defensively, have clear attacking patterns of play and are dangerous from set pieces,” Baum explained. “That’s why we’re expecting a very different game to the one against Gladbach.”
Giannoulis back after suspension
Augsburg will again be without Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (medial ligament injury) and Chrislain Matsima (torn tendon in his left thigh). Elvis Rexhbecaj is back available, as is Dimitris Giannoulis after serving his suspension. Baum also hinted that there could be one or two changes to the starting XI – particularly with the heavy workload over the coming days, where fresh legs will be important.
