Things move fast in football. Rewind 12 months to this stage last season and Bayer Leverkusen were 10 points clear at the top of the table and Mainz sat in the relegation play-off spot. Now the champions are nine points off Bayern Munich and the 05ers sit proudly in third.
As for Augsburg, it’s been a rollercoaster of a year. After 26 games of 2023/24, they were in seventh place on 35 points after an upturn following the October 2023 appointment of Jess Thorup. There were quiet whispers of a return to Europe and memories of past ties against the likes of Liverpool. However, a spring collapse in form saw the Bavarians earn only four more points and finish in 11th place.
The start of 2024/25 was also a mixed bag. A 2-1 win at home to Borussia Dortmund was a rare highlight among the first 16 games that produced just four victories, four draws and eight defeats as the Fuggerstädter sat only three points above the bottom three.
The low point was undoubtedly a 5-1 thrashing at Holstein Kiel in the final game of 2024.
Watch: Holstein Kiel 5-1 Augsburg – highlights
