- Augsburg are unbeaten in 4 home matches across all competitions (W2, D2) and have scored eight goals in that span.
- FC Schalke 04 are on a run of three wins and two defeats from their last five away matches across all competitions and have managed to score 12 goals in that time.
- The form of the hosts is mixed (W3, L2 from their last 5 across all tournaments), but that of Schalke is similarly up-and-down and neither side have enough momentum to trust here.
Two similar teams on similar trajectories
The head-to-head record between these clubs favours FC Augsburg 1-0 with a draw apiece over the last two meetings, but the last time that they played, a year ago, Augsburg beat Schalke 3-0 in this fixture.
Manuel Baum's men are a well-drilled side that are compact, and they are set up to counterattack and exploit the spaces in behind opposition teams. They are solid in a mid-block, break forward quickly and are a low-risk team that are capable of causing plenty of damage in transition.
Miron Muslic has his Schalke side playing with a very different mentality. The Royal Blues like to pinch the ball high up the pitch, they get in behind their opponents quickly and they press with numbers to force turnovers.
A real chess match in both boxes
Sunday's fixture between Augsburg and Schalke will be a fascinating clash of styles as the Fuggerstädter will look to be reactive and direct against an opponent that will try to pinch the football and force the action.
Augsburg are the better price to win at home, but the 2.16 about the hosts doesn't quite reflect their marginal superiority. Schalke are on a two-game losing streak after consecutive 0-3 defeats at home to Atalanta Bergamo and Real Madrid, so they will not enter this clash in a confident mood.
Schalke are a threat when they play on the away fixtures, but Augsburg are a more than capable team and they're unbeaten in four at home, so we're going for a tight, tactical chess match which will probably be edged by the home side or shared.
Both teams to score, at 1.5, look a better option than any of the clean-sheet options as Augsburg have scored eight times in their last four at the WWK Arena, while Schalke have hit 12 goals across their last five matches on the travel.
