AZ v Augsburg background
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Article summary
Augsburg have lost their first two UEFA games 3-1 and will look to get back on track when they visit AZ, who have scored twice in each of their six European matches this season.
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Scoring goals has not been a problem for AZ Alkmaar in this season's UEFA Europa League, as they take on an FC Augsburg side yet to avoid defeat in Group L.
Previous meetings
• The teams are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition in what is Augsburg's first encounter with Dutch opponents.
• AZ's five games against German clubs have ended W1 D2 L2 (W1 D1 L0 in Alkmaar – W0 D1 L2 in Germany).
Form guide
• AZ have scored twice in each of their six European fixtures (W4 L2) this term, 12 goals in total.
• Augsburg have lost their first two UEFA games 3-1.
• In seven previous campaigns in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage, AZ have advanced to the knockout stage five times, most recently in 2013/14 when they got as far as the last eight.
• Founded in 1907, Augsburg finished fifth in Germany last term, qualifying directly for the UEFA Europa League group stage as a result.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Augsburg to Alkmaar is around 650km.
• Augsburg's Estonia defender Ragnar Klavan joined the club from AZ in 2012, having helped them win the Eredivisie title in 2008/09.
• Augsburg have a Dutch right-back in Paul Verhaegh, who represented PSV Eindhoven, FC Den Bosch and Vitesse before moving to Germany. Their Slovenia striker Tim Matavž has also played in the Eredivisie, for FC Groningen and PSV.
• Augsburg's Piotr Trochowski was an unused substitute when Sevilla FC beat SL Benfica in the 2014 UEFA Europa League final.
The coaches
• AZ boss since 2014, John van den Brom spent the majority of his playing days as a midfielder at Vitesse. Capped twice, he went on to coach AFC Ajax's youth team, ADO Den Haag and Vitesse before heading to RSC Anderlecht and lifting the Belgian title in 2012/13.
• Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl's playing career peaked when he spent a season with the first-team squad at FC Bayern München, though he never played a senior game. Augsburg appointed him in 2012 following a spell at SSV Jahn Regensburg and he has thrived in the role, last term's fifth-place finish a club best.
