- Augsburg's league campaign in the 14th Bundesliga is lacking the presence of Novum.
In No Surprises in Augsburg's 14th Bundesliga season, FC Augsburg failed to secure their desired home victory, despite an impressive comeback against SV Werder Bremen. Elvis Rexhbecaj netted a stunning goal in the 16th minute, and newcomer Samuel Essende scored his debut goal in the 35th, but it resulted in a 2-2 (2-1) draw in an exciting match.
Bremen gained the initial lead in the packed WWK Arena with 30,660 spectators, thanks to Felix Agu's goal in the 12th minute. They eventually levelled the score in the second half, with Justin Njinmah crossing the finish line as a substitute in the 58th minute.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) disallowed Essende's second goal in the 69th minute, due to a handball, preserving the 2-2 tie.
Coach Jess Thorup introduced four fresh faces to his starting lineup, with varying results. Nediljko Labrovic, Croatia's national goalkeeper, made an early error, failing to keep hold of Agu's sharp shot. Thorup later criticized Labrovic for his poor clearance from the penalty box, but Rexhbecaj stepped up to prevent a potential disaster (42nd minute).
Labrovic, currently Augsburg's main goalkeeper in place of Finn Dahmen, who is still recovering, also pulled off a remarkable save in the 72nd minute, keeping out a predicted 2-3 deficit against Marvin Ducksch.
Essende had an impressive Bundesliga debut. The towering, 92kg striker from the Portuguese second division displayed his skills, not just with a powerful header for the 2-1 lead off a Tim Breithaupt cross, but also showed excellent teamwork with Philipp Tietz, replacing the departed Ermedin Demirovic, who joined VfB Stuttgart.
Rexhbecaj's stunner from 25 meters
Both teams looked to create opportunities to score. Keke Topp, Bremen's triple cup top scorer, didn't quite match his performance from their 3-1 victory against Energie Cottbus. Augsburg swiftly reclaimed their advantage before halftime, with Rexhbecaj scoring a spectacular goal from 25 meters.
After the break, Bremen gained the momentum. Mitchell Weiser was instrumental on the right wing, providing the cross for substitute Njinmah to score a close-range goal.
Despite their comeback efforts, FC Augsburg couldn't clinch a home win against Bremen in their 14th Bundesliga season, settling for a draw after a thrilling match. Despite VAR disallowing his second goal due to a handball, newcomer Samuel Essende still impressed with his debut performance, netting a goal and displaying excellent teamwork.
