Augsburg struggled to build on their historic campaign from last season as they failed to cope with the added pressure of participating in the Europa League, finishing well below pre-season expectations of a place in the top half of the league table. Augsburg have been one of the consistent sides in the Bundesliga over the last couple of years and coach Markus Weinzierl oversaw a historic campaign last season as they finished fifth in the league table and qualified for their first ever European campaign. Expectations were high for Augsburg as they looked for a repeat of the last season, especially with Weinzierl holding on to most of his key players, with Abdul Baba the only major departure, and making a couple of good additions during the summer with Ja-Cheol Koo and Philipp Max arriving at the club. Things though soured quickly for Augsburg as they struggled to get going, managing just one win from their first 12 games to quickly drop to the bottom of the league table. Their European campaign too was not going according to plan as they lost their opening two games, but a strong finish to the group stage saw them win three of their final four games to qualify to the knockout stages. Their form in Bundesliga also picked up and a good run followed as Augsburg collected 13 points from a possible 15 in the final five games before the winter break. Despite the improved form, Augsburg were clearly lacking the bite in the attack as they struggled to score goals but despite Weinzierl bringing in Alfred Finnbogason on loan from Real Sociedad, Augsburg struggled to regain their rhythm after action resumed following the winter break. Another slump in form raised genuine fears of relegation as Augsburg headed into the final month of the campaign sitting uncomfortably close to the bottom three. A timely return to form though helped ward of the danger as three straight victories against Werder Bremen, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg saw Augsburg secure their safety with a game in hand. Augsburg are looking at a summer of change with Weinzierl confirming his departure at the end, with the coach expected to take over at Schalke. Darmstadt coach Dirk Schuster is the favorite to take over from Weinzierl and the new man coming in will have to ensure that Augsburg improve in a couple of key areas for a better campaign next time around. Finnbogason's loan has been turned into a permanent move and is expected to lead the line but Augsburg are lacking a consistent contributor on the right flank while the defense struggled to cope with injuries over the course of the season. Regardless of who is in charge next season, Augsburg do have a strong core of players available with enough experience and quality who can ensure a solid next campaign.
