Hannover 96 make the long trip South to Schwaben Bavaria to take on FC Augsburg at the WWK Arena, as both sides search for their first three points of the season in this Sunday afternoon encounter.

FC Augsburg team news

Following from their 3-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao during Europa League action in the midweek, Markus Weinzierl is widely expected to make three changes to his sides starting line-up. Raul Bobadilla, Ja-Cheol Koo and Tobias Werner are to come back into the starting eleven, in place of Tim Matavz, Halil Altintop and Ji Dong-Wong. Ragnar Klavan and Jan-Ingwer Callsen Bracker are expected to continue in the heart of defence despite conceding five in the last two games. 

Die Fuggerstädter will be however without Shawn Parker, Caiuby, Jeong-Ho Hong and Daniel Opare who are all missing with respective cruciate ligament ruptures and muscle strains between them.

Predicted line-up: Hitz; Verhaegh, Klavan, Callsen-Bracker, Feulner; Kohr, Baier; Esswein, Koo, Werner; Bobadilla.

Hannover 96 team news

It’s been a terrible start to the season for Michael Frontzeck and Hannover 96, as die Roten are without a victory since the final Matchday of last season a pivotal 2-1 win over eventual relegated SC Freiburg. The visitors for Sunday afternoons game have only scored four goals so far this season, including two in a four goals to two defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund last weekend. 

However one positive for die Roten is the recent form of Artur Sobiech, who scored both of the goals against die Schwarzgelben. The Polish striker will most likely continue ahead of Charlinson Benschop and Mevlut Erdinc, being flanked by Felix Klaus and Hiroshi Kiyotake. 

Frontzeck will only be without two players for the game in Schwaben Bavaria; that being Manuel Schmiedebach who has a knee problem as well as Uffe Bech who is suspended. Whilst Miiko Albornoz will have a late fitness check to see if he will be fit for the game.

Predicted line-up: Zieler; Sakai, Felipe, Marcelo, Albornoz; Sané, Prib, Sorg; Klaus, Sobiech, Kiyotake. 

Previous meetings

Last season it was die Roten that received the plaudits in the two meetings between the sides; in what eventually proved decisive in Hannover 96‘s successful attempt in avoiding relegation. In-fact the two victories over Markus Weinzierl‘s side were the only victories for the HDI-Arena side in a six month spell.

Two Lars Stindl goals either side of a Paul Verhaegh penalty were enough in the same fixture last year, in a match dominated by three red cards. The game in Lower Saxony was a more comfortable one for die Roten, as they won by two goals to nil with Salif Sané and Joselu on the score sheet.