Augsburg, Germany – Growing fan discontent with FCA coach sandro Wagner reached a boiling point Saturday as a slapstick goal by borussia Dortmund sealed a 1-0 defeat for Augsburg, further intensifying the pressure on the embattled manager. Supporters displayed banners criticizing Wagner during halftime, citing a perceived lack of results despite ambitious rhetoric.
Augsburg, which had shown defensive enhancement following a 6-0 loss to RB Leipzig and a 1-0 cup defeat to VfL Bochum, largely matched Dortmund’s intensity but failed to convert their efforts into goals. “It was an absolute fight. Augsburg is alive, you have to fight back,” said Augsburg’s Felix groß. “BVB had that one more moment, we fought for victory.”
The decisive goal came from guirassy, described as a “coincidence,” resulting from a long ball by Waldemar Anton after a header from Chrislain Matsima to Han-Noah Massengo.
Fan frustration manifested in visible protests. banners reading “Big words, no actions – how long do you want to wait?” and “Image change accomplished: from the gray mouse to the league’s shooting gallery” were displayed at halftime.Despite the criticism, fans offered encouraging applause after the final whistle.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac was forced to reshuffle his defense due to the absence of Nico Schlotterbeck (illness/”creative break”) and Niklas Süle. BVB made six changes to their lineup, while Wagner made seven following FCA’s 1-0 cup loss to Bochum.
The match was twice interrupted by Dortmund fans protesting the Saturday 3:30 p.m.kickoff time, first with tennis balls thrown onto the pitch and later with fireworks during the second half.
The game itself was characterized by a lack of fluid build-up play from both sides, with numerous duels and ball losses preventing sustained attacks.
