FC Augsburg have won their first two league outings and scored seven goals in the process. They go into FC Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen with a +6 goal difference, which is a strong enough opening to make people look twice. Bayer Leverkusen arrive with a response already on the board after their opening defeat.
Augsburg's early edge
Augsburg’s start has not come from one narrow win or a bit of early luck. They beat Schalke 04 3-0 and Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 in the Bundesliga, which is a proper opening statement. The front line has been active, and the shape has helped them get bodies into advanced areas quickly.
Manuel Baum’s team will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, which suits that approach. Marius Wolf has already created five big chances, the most by any player in the opening two games, and he also has one assist. That gives Augsburg a clear wide source of delivery and end product, with Steve Mounié likely to benefit if the service stays this sharp.
Leverkusen's rebound test
Leverkusen’s own start has been more uneven, but the response mattered. They lost 3-2 to SV Elversberg on matchday one before beating Union Berlin 4-0, and that is enough to keep them firmly in the frame here. Carles Martinez Novell’s team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, so structure should stay central to how they try to control the game.
The standings debate is still live. Some reports have Augsburg top after two matches and Leverkusen seventh after their rebound win, but the safe read is simply that both are in the early mix and the table is still settling. That makes this a better test of level than of standing.
Finn Dahmen is likely to be busy if Leverkusen get their midfield and wide players connecting cleanly. Augsburg have earned the right to be taken seriously, but Leverkusen have already shown they can recover from a bad result and deliver a strong one, which gives this preview more bite than a routine top-versus-chasing fixture.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
