Augsburg completed a dramatic comeback as they secured their survival in the Bundesliga with one of their most important victories on the final day of the season. Needing to better Fortuna Dusseldorf's result in order to climb out of the relegation zone, Augsburg took full advantage of Dusseldorf's defeat to secure a comfortable victory over Greuther Furth and finish 15th in the league table. It was a season of two halves for Augsburg who were poor prior to the winter break, managing to collect just nine points from their first 17 games, but emerging as one of the most consistent sides after the league resumed in January. Coach Markus Weinzierl was given a target of at least securing the 16th place, which would have provided a chance for Augsburg to secure their safety through the relegation play-offs. However victories against Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt provided Augsburg with a great chance of overtaking Dusseldorf which they ultimately did on the final day of the season. Augsburg's return to form was based on some important displays by Alex Manninger, who made most of his chances following injuries to both Simon Jentzsch and Mohamed Amsif, while Sascha Molders returned from an injury lay off to score crucial late goals. However it was Ji Dong-Won, signed on loan from Sunderland, who proved to be key for Augsburg's revival with the South Korean international chipping in with five goals. While Weinzierl will be pleased with his side's turn around after the winter break, the Augsburg coach will be hoping for a far better start to the next season though it will depend on whether Augsburg can hold on to their key players with Manninger's contract set to expire in the summer while Ji is likely to return back to Sunderland.
