The Wagner effect! - Augsburg stun Freiburg on matchday 1 | OneFootball

The Wagner effect! - Augsburg stun Freiburg on matchday 1 | OneFootball

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·23 August 2025

The Wagner effect! - Augsburg stun Freiburg on matchday 1

Article image:The Wagner effect! - Augsburg stun Freiburg on matchday 1

It was the perfect start for Augsburg's new headcoach Sandro Wagner, who oversaw his first Bundesliga match in charge - and celebrated it with three hard-earned points! His side stunned home team Freiburg in a 3-1 victory.

The hosts thought they had broken the deadlock early when Lucas Höler cleverly chipped over Finn Dahmen after a defensive mix-up with Han-Noah Massengo. The home support was already celebrating, only for VAR to confirm Höler had strayed offside. It was a warning sign that Freiburg’s control of possession didn’t automatically translate into goals.


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Instead, it was Augsburg who took their chance. In the 32nd minute, a speculative strike from Dimitrios Giannoulis took a wicked deflection and nestled into the Freiburg net - Wagner’s first Bundesliga goal as a coach.

Just ten minutes later, Augsburg doubled their lead: Chrislain Matsima, one of Augsburg's most consistent players last season, rose above the Freiburg defense at a corner and powered in a header to make it 2-0. Once again, the defender underlined his growing importance for the Bundesliga club.

On the stroke of half-time, things went from bad to worse for the hosts: New Freiburg signing Yuito Suzuki was dispossessed in midfield after a corner for his side and Augsburg's Marius Wolf seized on the error. He sprinted clear, kept his composure, and slotted calmly past Noah Atubolu for Augsburg’s third!

From a disallowed opener to a three-goal deficit at the break - it was a dramatic turnaround.

To their credit, Freiburg refused to fold: In the 58th minute, Vincenzo Grifo confidently converted a penalty to spark hopes of a comeback. The home side pushed forward, controlling possession and creating pressure, but Augsburg’s disciplined shape and sharp counterattacks kept them at bay.

Freiburg tried hard to get another and make the game as exciting as possible, but they just couldn't get it done against a motivated and energetic Augsburg side.

On the touchline, Wagner was of course emotional at times, but looked composed for the most part. A reporter asked Wagner at the press conference before the game, whether he was nervous before his Bundesliga debut - Wagner promptly hinted at the fact he had experienced pretty much everything there is in the Bundesliga as a player. His experience definitely helped his team to put in a great performance against Freiburg today.

Wagner's Augsburg side blended defensive discipline with lethal counterattacking - a recipe that would deliver their first win in Freiburg since 2014.

The result also broke a long negative run: Augsburg had lost nine of their last ten meetings in Freiburg! Augsburg can defnitely leave Freiburg with renewed confidence and huge optimism for the season ahead.

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