Baum: “A tough test ahead”
Away to the league leaders
First Team
22.01.2026, 15:45
Matchday 19 of the Bundesliga sees FC Augsburg make the short trip to play FC Bayern on Saturday, 24 January (15:30 CET). Around 4,000 Augsburg supporters will be in the stands in the Bavarian capital.
Augsburg head into the weekend up against the unbeaten league leaders. 16 wins, two draws and no defeats underline the scale of the task. Even so, Baum made his expectations clear ahead of the club’s first away game of the second half of the season. “It’s a tough test, but I expect my team to go there with the mindset of wanting to make things uncomfortable for Bayern,” he said.
After back-to-back home draws this week against Union Berlin (1-1) and SC Freiburg (2-2), Baum is approaching the trip to Munich with a balance of belief and realism. Asked how his side can compete with what he described as “a Bayern team that are always hungry”, he explained: “We have to bring our strengths onto the pitch. That means staying compact, getting stuck in, disrupting their rhythm and being brave with our counter-attacks. You don’t get much time to think against Bayern. A lot has to happen instinctively – because once they get into their flow, it becomes very difficult.”
Chaves in the squad, Banks suspended
Baum will be without centre-back Noahkai Banks, who is suspended, in addition to long-term absentees Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Chrislain Matsima. Kristijan Jakić is also a doubt after continuing to struggle with calf tightness following the Freiburg match.
New signing Arthur Chaves will travel with the squad after completing his move on Thursday. “He brings an incredible amount of energy, both in the dressing room and on the training pitch,” Baum said of the 24-year-old defender. “I’m really pleased he’s with us.”
