Bundesliga: The Tussle for European Contention Continues

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Augsburg

Bayer Leverkusen may have already clinched the Bundesliga title, but there’s still a lot to unravel in the German top flight, as teams like Eintracht Frankfurt and Augsburg are in an ongoing tussle for the last spot for European contention.

Fresh from a dominant win against Union Berlin, who are now in danger of relegation, Augsburg march to Deutsche Bank Park in hopes of beating the same outfit whom they’re trying to overtake in the standings.

Frankfurt are hanging on to the sixth spot by a thread, and they’ll try to at least park the bus and brave the oncoming threats from adversaries for the last European slot.

Talking Points

Frankfurt need to break their slump asap

At the time of writing, Frankfurt hold on to the last spot for European contention in the Bundesliga table, but thanks to their recent struggles, they’re now within striking distance of Augsburg and Freiburg.

Die Adler are fending off Augsburg and Freiburg with just a three-point lead. With just five points in their last five Bundesliga matches, Frankfurt find themselves with a huge target behind their backs.

Trailing Dortmund by 15 points, Die Alder have little to no chance of catching up, so instead, Dino Toppmöller and his men aim to keep surging teams below them from taking their coveted spot in the standings.

Unfortunately for Frankfurt and their fans, parking the bus is easier said than done, as they’re still scheduled to clash against Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and league champions Leverkusen before the campaign ends.

Back-to-back Europa Conference League qualification is the best case scenario for Toppmöller and his men this season, so this SBOTOP writer expects a spirited effort from Die Alder to keep their spot in the standings despite their tough schedule.

Augsburg’s remaining games are a handful

Speaking of tough schedules, Augsburg will also face three of the top five Bundesliga outfits before their season ends, and the fact that they still need to overcome Frankfurt’s existing three-point lead makes it exponentially harder for them to garner winning Bundesliga 2024 results and qualify for European competition when the season comes to a close.

But unlike Frankfurt, Fuggerstädter have been faring well in the top flight in the past few weeks. Losing just one of their last five and garnering 10 points positions them within arm’s reach of Europa Conference League contention.

 Augsburg haven’t played in an international competition since the 2015-16 season, when they made their European debut at the Europa League, so expect a spirited tail-end run from Jess Thorup and his men as they inch closer to European football after their win against Union Berlin.

Their recent 2-0 clean-sheet win against Union Berlin extends Augsburg’s unbeaten home run and sets the tone perfectly as they embark on their tail-end run of the season. Their final third has been hot as of late, so expect their final third to keep pushing the pace.

Their leading goal scorer, Ermedin Demirović, has been the brightest spot in Augsburg’s season with 15 goals thus far. Jess Thorup and the rest of Augsburg look to rely on their No. 9 to lead them to the season’s finish line.

History

It can’t get any closer than this. In their last 25 head-to-heads, both Frankfurt and Augsburg showcased why they’re so well-matched. Frankfurt were able to garner eight wins, while Augsburg were able to tally nine wins and eight draws to boot.

Their most recent match saw Augsburg slither to a slim 2-1 victory at WWK Arena.

In recent form, as stated above, Die Alder are enduring a slump, winning just one in their last five, while Augsburg have been pretty resilient, garnering three wins and a draw in their last five Bundesliga matches.

They tallied one win each and a draw in their last three, so the winner of their next bout will not only gain an advantage in the league standings but will also leave a mark on their recent head-to-head tally.

Betting Tip

The Bundesliga 2024 betting odds suggest a competitive match between these German rivals. The home side was given a slight advantage with a price of 2.08, while the visiting Augsburg are the underdogs at 3.07 with a draw price of 3.38.

Given their past head-to-heads, one can never have a confident pick on who will be the victors between these outfits, which explains why they’re priced closely with one another.

Because of this, my betting tip focuses instead on their total goal tally. Given that these clubs are well-matched, I expect a highly competitive outing from both teams, resulting in a score line below my betting tip of under 2.75 at 2.04.

 

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