The Augsburg vs Bayern Munich Bundesliga match is set for Saturday, April 5.
Match Report
BERLIN— Injury-hit Augsburg ended Bayern Munich’s record 53-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 victory on Saturday.
Sascha Moelders scored in the 31st for Augsburg to hand Bayern its first league loss since a 2-1 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Oct. 28, 2012.
It was Augsburg’s first victory over its larger Bavarian rival after five league and three German Cup defeats, and Bayern’s third successive game without a win in all competitions since it won the Bundesliga title with seven games to spare.
Pep Guardiola’s side drew 3-3 against Hoffenheim last weekend and then 1-1 at Manchester United in the sides’ Champions league quarterfinal first leg on Tuesday.
With one eye on next Wednesday’s return leg, Guardiola fielded a weakened side in Augsburg, with seven changes to the side that lined up in Manchester.
Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Philipp Lahm were left out of the squad, while David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Mario Goetze, Dante and Thomas Mueller all started on the bench.
“The Bundesliga is over for us. Our target is the Champions League,” Guardiola said in the run-up to the game, before opting to give Mitchel Weiser, Pierre-Emil Hojbjerg and Ylli Sallahi their Bundesliga starting debuts.
Deputy goalkeeper Tom Starke was to start but he tore a ligament in his right elbow in training on Friday.
A mistake from Weiser led to the goal. The Bayern midfielder was easily dispossessed by Daniel Baier, who set Moelders through on goal in front of Manuel Neuer. The Augsburg striker fired hard and high to give the Bayern No. 1 little chance.
The lead was deserved, with Bayern unusually passive and disorientated in the face of the home side’s harrying and quick passing game in the first half.
Neuer denied Alexander Esswein in the 52nd, and though Bayern improved — David Alaba’s effort crashed back off the post in the 68th — Augsburg managed to hold on.
Borussia Moenchengladbach won 2-0 at relegation-threatened Nuremberg to move provisionally fourth, pending Wolfsburg’s game at Borussia Dortmund later.
Juan Arango scored with a deflected free kick that gave Nuremberg ‘keeper Raphael Schaefer no chance in the 18th, and Max Kruse made sure of the result with a penalty in the 79th.
Also Saturday, Schalke drew 1-1 at Werder Bremen, Stuttgart beat fellow relegation candidate Freiburg 2-0, and Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Mainz 2-0.
Bremen striker Franco Di Santo scored through Ralf Faehrmann’s legs from a narrow angle in the 15th minute, but Leon Goretzka equalized in the 33rd for Schalke.
Ibrahima Traore did brilliantly to create Stuttgart’s breakthrough in the 69th, eluding three defenders on the right and playing a one-two with Christian Gentner before crossing for Maxim Alexandru to score.
Martin Harnik sealed the win in the 89th, as Stuttgart climbed above Hamburger SV on goal difference and out of the relegation zone.
Goals from Joselu in the 52nd and Alexander Meier in the 85th were enough for Frankfurt.
Bayer Leverkusen earlier sacked Sami Hyypia as coach with Champions League qualification anything but assured.
Here is an AP preview of the match.
Bavarian Derby
Bayern remains unbeaten in 53 Bundesliga games but last week’s 3-3 with Hoffenheim ended the side’s 19-game winning streak in the league and — more importantly — was followed by Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester in the Champions League. With one eye on Wednesday’s quarterfinal return leg, Pep Guardiola will almost certainly rotate his side again for Saturday’s game at Augsburg.
The title was already secured with seven games to spare and Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer warned, “A bad thing mustn’t come from a good. We shouldn’t get it into our heads to lose our rhythm.”
Augsburg has been enjoying an excellent season, though appears to be running out of steam with just one point from four games. Markus Weinzierl has to do without his two top scorers against Bayern. Andre Hahn is suspended and Tobias Werner is out with a fractured eye socket. Defender Ragnar Klavan is also doubtful with thigh problems.
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