FCA News | Niklas Dorsch: “Now we can show eggs”

Niklas Dorsch came to FC Augsburg from Gent in the summer of 2021.

IMAGO/kolbert-press

Of course, the FC Augsburg players were aware of what happened in Mainz on Sunday. One or the other claimed to have focused on his own game against Borussia Dortmund, but Niklas Dorsch admitted that he “naturally” looked at his smartphone and saw that VfB Stuttgart, while Augsburg were getting ready to warm up, had turned the game and would catch up to FCA up to two points.

And because shortly afterwards their own performance was not enough to put championship contenders Dortmund in trouble, the starting position worsened with one game to go. If Bochum (versus Leverkusen) and Stuttgart (versus Hoffenheim) win their home games, FCA must score at least one point in Gladbach to avoid relegation. “Now we have the expected endgame that we’ve been talking about for ten games,” said Niklas Dorsch, summing up the situation. “Now we really have it. This is a situation where we can show balls.”

What was once a reassuring eight-point pad on the red zone has now given way to beads of sweat. The Augsburgers themselves are to blame for this, who missed several chances to ensure peace, were completely unjustly annoyed with referee Tobias Welz on Sunday – and who were simply too bad away from home.

When we were up to our heads in water, we somehow showed that we have to keep our heads above water.

After the supposedly reassuring 1-0 win against Union two weeks ago, Augsburg believed they were safe, “there,” Dorsch continued, “apparently we did everything right, then go to Bochum and play shit together like in many other away games this year. It’s a thing that’s going on throughout the season, not just the last few weeks. When you’re scoring so few points away from home.” Then, in the end, crucial points may be missing.

What gives hope of ending the winning streak of twelve games abroad on the final weekend of all days? “When we were up to our heads in water, we somehow showed that we have to keep our heads above water,” says Dorsch. “It gives me hope that everyone in the dressing room knows what’s at stake next week.”

The midfield engine, who is fully resilient again after a number of setbacks, provides a simple route for the task in Gladbach: “It’s a game that we have to approach like the games at home. Gladbach is not in top shape either, that is a chance for us. We have to burn to the breaking point, do everything we can. It’s about a lot more than we might have suspected in the last few weeks. The others just didn’t help us and now we have to fix it ourselves.”