Borussia Dortmund will aim to continue the recent winning run when they take on FC Augsburg at the WWK Arena on Friday.

The 2025/26 Bundesliga season resumes this week with Matchday 9. The latest round of fixtures begins with FC Augbusrg vs Borussia Dortmund at the WWK Arena, with the home side eager to turn things around and the away side desperate to keep pace with the table-topping Bayern Munich.

FC Augsburg would have hoped for a better campaign after finishing 12th in the Bundesliga standings last season. However, while FCA began this term with a 3-1 win over SC Freiburg, they have managed only one more victory in the seven subsequent outings. Sandro Wagner’s men have thus dropped to 15th on the table. The DFB Pokal has not brought good news, either, as they have bowed out of the competition this week.

On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund reach the DFB Pokal third round after beating Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties. The Black and Yellows are now on a three-game winning run, bouncing back well from the 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker. However, that loss has left Niko Kovac’s men seven points behind Die Roten, and a title push may not be on the cards.

The corresponding fixture last season saw FC Augsburg come from a goal down to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1, with Alexis Claude Maurice scoring a match-winning brace. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

FC Augsburg

Sandro Wagner has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The FC Augsburg manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player vs Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

Jeffrey Gouweleeuw is the only absentee, as the experienced centre-back is recovering from a knee injury. Apart from the Dutch defender, Wagner has a full-strength squad to take on Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

Finn Dahmen will take his spot between the sticks, with FC Augsburg lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Borussia Dortmund on Friday. The backline will feature Noahkai Banks, Chrislain Matsima, and Kristijan Jakic. Meanwhile, Dimitrios Giannoulis and Anton Kade will be the two wing-backs.

The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, Han-Noah Massengo and Robin Fellhauer will pair up in the double pivot. Finally, Mert Komur will likely lead the line for FC Augsburg against Borussia Dortmund, with Fabian Rieder and Elias Saad completing the numbers in the offensive third.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Dahmen; Banks, Matsima, Jakic; Giannoulis, Fellhauer, Massengo, Kade; Saad, Rieder; Komur

Borussia Dortmund

Like his counterpart in the FC Augsburg dugout, Niko Kovac has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the WWK Arena. The Borussia Dortmund manager will be without only two first-team players on Friday.

Emre Can is the most notable absentee, with the Borussia Dortmund captain recovering from a groin injury. Julien Duranville is the other player in the treatment room, with the Belgian winger dealing with a knee complaint.

Gregor Kobel is an automatic pick between the sticks, with FC Augsburg lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Borussia Dortmund on Friday. The backline will feature Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Ramy Bensebaini. Meanwhile, Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson will be the two wing-backs.

The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross will hold the fort in the middle of the park. Finally, Serhou Guirassy will spearhead the Borussia Dortmund attack against FC Augsburg, with Karim Adeyemi and Carney Chukwuemeka completing the supporting cast.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Gross, Nmecha, Svensson; Chukwuemeka, Adeyemi; Guirassy

Key Stats

• FC Augsburg have won only five of their 28 Bundesliga games vs Borussia Dortmund, but they did the double over BVB last season, winning 2-1 at home and 1-0 at Signal Iduna Park.
• The Bavarians are on a dreadful run of form, losing 6-0 to RB Leipzig last weekend and 1-0 to VfL Bochum in the DFB Pokal in the past week.
• Augsburg’s 6-0 defeat against Leipzig was only the second time in Bundesliga history that they conceded more than four goals in a home game. They have also already lost five of their first eight Bundesliga matches, a joint club record.
• Meanwhile, Sandro Wagner’s men have the worst defensive record in the Bundesliga thus far in the 2025/26 season, conceding 20 goals. Should they concede two or more on Friday, then it will be the club’s worst defensive output ever after nine Bundesliga games.
• Despite the vast difference in the league positions of Borussia Dortmund and FC Augsburg, the visitors have scored only two more goals than the home side, 14 and 12, respectively. Meanwhile, Augsburg’s defeat to RB Leipzig was the first time they had failed to score in the Bundesliga this term.

Player to Watch

Serhou Guirassy

Embed from Getty Images

While Fabian Rieder, Elias Saad, and Karim Adeyemi were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Serhou Guirassy as the Player to Watch for Friday’s Bundesliga clash between FC Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund at the WWK Arena.

The Guinean international has been a standout performer for Borussia Dortmund since last season, taking on the goalscoring burden for his team. However, Guirassy has managed only four goals thus far in the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, and he must step up to guide his side to a crucial victory this week.

Prediction

FC Augsburg 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Friday’s match pits two of the most prolific teams in the Bundesliga this season, and fans can expect fireworks. The hosts rarely fail to score at home, although they have the worst defensive record in the German top flight this term.

However, FC Augsburg can exploit Borussia Dortmund’s soft underbelly, and they will take the game to the away side. But the hosts’ defensive woes will be their undoing, and they will go down fighting. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Niko Kovac and his charges.