An away loss to end the season

FC Augsburg concluded the 2017/18 Bundesliga season with a 2-0 loss to Freiburg on matchday 34. Nicolas Höfler (49’) and Tim Kleindienst (65’) scored the goals for the team from Breisgau. With that, FCA end the season in twelfth place. FCA head coach Manuel Baum made three changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Schalke last week: Marwin Hitz, the suspended Philipp Max and the injured Michael Gregoritsch were replaced by Andreas Luthe, Kevin Danso and Jan Moravek respectively. Freiburg were very motivated from the outset and were the more lively team in the early goings. Augsburg relied on a stable defense and waited for chances to counter. Nevertheless, the game’s first chance came for FCA in the 10^th minute. The former Freiburg player Jonathan Schmid pushed down the right wing and shot from 15 metres out. The deflected attempt narrowly missed the far corner of the goal. In the 20^th minute, Nicolas Höfler answered by firing a backheeled attempt over the bar. Andreas Luthe also kept Freiburg off the scoresheet in the 39^th minute courtesy of some sharp reflexes to deny Manuel Gulde. The game would stay goalless going into the break. Freiburg take the lead and don’t look back The hosts made the perfect start to the second half. Janik Haberer crossed the ball into the area from the right-hand side, where the on-running Höfler fired it past Luthe to give his side the lead (49’). Freiburg had clearly found their stride and were much closer to doubling their advantage than Augsburg were to equalizing. That’s exactly what would happen in the 65^th minute, when a loss of possession allowed Tim Kleindienst to find himself in a one-on-one situation with Andreas Luthe, which he proceeded to make the most of by slotting the ball through the FCA keeper’s legs. From that point on Freiburg clearly had things under control and comfortably saw their lead through to the end. Manuel Baum concluded the game by handing youngster Simon Asta his Bundesliga debut (80’).