Bayern Munich vs Augsburg preview - Bayern Munich host neighbours with a knack for an upset

Posted Friday, September 11, 2015 by PA

Pep Guardiola faces his personal nemesis this weekend when Augsburg pay Bayern Munich a visit.

Guardiola has not lost more than once against any other Bundesliga side, but Augsburg's 1-0 win on their last visit to the Allianz Arena was already the second time that Markus Weinzierl, a coach Guardiola rates very highly, has got one over the Catalan.

To put Augsburg's two wins into context, however, they have both come after Bayern have already won the title in the past two seasons.

Nevertheless, Guardiola is wary of what the side from just 50 miles down the road are capable of and he is not going to take any chances this Saturday.

"They're a very aggressive team with a good coach, and they are playing in the Europa League," he told German media at a press conference.

"Any team who qualifies for that from the Champions League must be a very good side."

Rotating his team in view of their Champions League opener at Olympiacos on Wednesday is therefore not a consideration.

"Augsburg is the most important game of our lives, at the moment," added the Catalan.

New signing Kingsley Coman could be set for his debut with Arjen Robben joining Franck Ribery in the treatment room, although Guardiola gave a very coy "maybe he will, maybe he won't" answer to the question as to whether the former Paris St Germain and Juventus forward will feature.

Javi Martinez is back in the Bayern squad and he may be joined on the bench by Mario Gotze, a player Guardiola insists he still rates "extremely highly".

"If he doesn't play, then that's because we've got three amazing forwards for just one position," Guardiola said.

"My opinion of Mario Gotze does not change based on his performances."

Weinzierl's opinion of Bayern has not changed either, despite his two triumphs over an otherwise seemingly unbeatable side, at least in the past three Bundesliga seasons.

He knows his side, who have picked up just a single point from their first three games of the season, are going to have their work cut out coming back from Munich with anything tangible this Saturday.

"Bayern are odds-on favourites," he said.

"We're going to rise above ourselves and need a perfect day.

"We do have those recent results in the back of our minds, though, and they do give us confidence."

Weinzierl welcomes former Bayern midfielder Piotr Trochowski, a summer signing from Sevilla, into his squad for the first time this season.

He, like Weinzierl, knows how to beat Bayern, having succeeded four times in opposition to the club where he started his career, drawing four and losing only four - a record not many players can boast and one he can polish on his Augsburg debut this weekend.