Bundesliga Betting: Back Weinzierls woes to continue with ailing Augsburg

It's been a tough season already for Augsburg's Markus Weinzierl
As Kevin Hatchard predicted in the summer, Augsburg are struggling at the foot of the table, and life may not get any easier at in-form Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim vs Augsburg, Sat 14:30 BST
Match Odds: Hoffenheim 1.814/5, Augsburg 4.94/1, the draw 3.8514/5
I suggested at the start of the campaign that Augsburg would suffer second-season syndrome and slip back into Bundesliga Zwei, and the evidence to support that conclusion is gathering week by week. Augsburg should be applauded for hiring a bright young coach in Markus Weinzierl, but the 37-year-old is struggling to make an impact at the top level. His predecessor Jos Luhukay openly questioned whether the Bavarian club could survive again without significant investment in the team, and his decision to defect to Hertha Berlin is looking pretty astute.
Augsburg have managed to collect just one point from five games, they have scored just two goals, and they are bottom of the table. The energy of Axel Bellinghausen is sorely missed in midfield (he joined Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer), and strikers Aristide Bance, Knowledge Musona and Torsten Oehrl are all toiling.
Hoffenheim made a dreadful start to the season, with three straight losses, but superb wins over Hannover and Stuttgart have eased the pressure on coach Markus Babbel. The defence still appears fragile, but Babbel's men now look a threat going forward. Japanese international Takashi Usami scored an outstanding goal against Stuttgart in midweek and is finding his rhythm, while former Real Madrid striker Joselu is looking increasingly dangerous with every game he plays.
Augsburg have lost both of their away games to date, and I expect another defeat here. 1.814/5 for the home win is quite generous, but to beef it up further it might be worth backing Hoffenheim/Hoffenheim in the HT/FT market at 2.8415/8. Our friends at Opta tell us Augsburg have trailed at HT in three of their four league defeats.
Recommended Bets: Back Hoffenheim to win at 1.814/5
Back Hoffenheim/Hoffenheim in the HT/FT market at 2.8415/8
Hamburg vs Hannover, Sat 14:30 BST
Match Odds: Hamburg 2.47/5, Hannover 3.185/40, the draw 3.65n/a
Regular readers of this column will be sick of me banging on about how many goals Hannover are scoring this season, but the goal markets on their matches continue to be a rich source of profit for bettors. Wednesday's 4-1 home win over Nurnberg was the ninth consecutive game involving Hannover that has contained Over 3.5 Goals, and all bar one of their matches this term have featured Over 2.5 Goals. Only Bayern Munich (17) have scored more Bundesliga goals that Mirko Slomka's side (14).
Hamburg have been inspired by the return of classy playmaker Rafael Van Der Vaart to their ranks. On Wednesday the Redshorts followed up their magnificent 3-2 win over champions Borussia Dortmund with a creditable 2-2 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach. Had Van Der Vaart not missed a second-half penalty the result would have been even better, but as it turned out Borussia scored a last-gasp leveller.
Both teams are in good form, which makes the match odds market a tough one to profit from. Four of Hamburg's six games this term have featured Over 3.5 Goals, while Thorsten Fink's men are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, so there's plenty of evidence to support backing Over 3.5 Goals at 2.6813/8.
Recommended Bet: Back Over 3.5 Goals at 2.6813/8
Bayer Leverkusen vs Greuther Furth, Sat 14:30 BST
Match Odds: Bayer 1.538/15, Greuther 7.613/2, the draw 4.3100/30
Bayer are building momentum after a patchy start, and they looked very good in the first half of their 3-1 win at Augbsurg in midweek. Andre Schurrle scored his first goal of the season as Bayer raced into a 3-0 half-time lead, although they were guilty of easing up after the break.
Greuther Furth have accrued four points from their five games so far, but goalscoring continues to be an issue for Mike Buskens' battlers. Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat to Fortuna Dusseldorf was Greuther's fourth goalscoring blank in six games, and Buskens must somehow find a way to create more chances. On-loan Schalke striker Edu looks way past his best - the 30-year-old is yet to score in three games, and just one of his four goal attempts have been on target. Greuther's only two Bundesliga goals have come from a wicked deflection and a comedy own-goal.
Bayer have looked defensively solid at home, which is an improvement on last season's calamitous offerings under Robin Dutt. Leverkusen have conceded just one goal in three home games, and unless Greuther are more adventurous than they have been so far this season, another clean sheet looks to be on the cards.
Recommended Bet: Back Bayer to Win to Nil at 2.747/4
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