Bournemouth concludes Austrian pre-season with win
Bournemouth concluded their pre-season tour in Austria with a 5-2 victory over Augsburg. The match, played over four 30-minute periods, saw goals from Marcus Tavernier, Evanilson, Alex Toth, Ben Gannon-Doak, and Enes Unal for the Cherries. This result marks another positive step for Bournemouth as they prepare for the upcoming season, including their first venture into European football.
Winger Marcus Tavernier expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating that Bournemouth are “heading in the right direction.” The team’s manager, Marco Rose, utilised two different starting lineups for the first and second 60-minute segments of the match, also making further changes within those halves to build fitness among the squad. This strategic approach allowed multiple players to gain valuable playing time and contribute to the team’s conditioning.
The win against Augsburg follows another strong performance in Austria, where Bournemouth defeated 2.Bundesliga side St. Pauli with a 4-1 scoreline. These two victories cap off a successful training camp for the Cherries, who are now set to return home. The club is building towards their Premier League opener scheduled for August 23 against Manchester City.
Augsburg’s pre-season preparations continue
For Augsburg, the friendly against Bournemouth was part of their ongoing pre-season schedule. The German club is preparing for their DFB-Pokal tie against Energie Cottbus on August 22. Manuel Baum, in his second stint as Augsburg boss, is tasked with building upon the team’s ninth-place finish in the previous season, which was their best finishing position since the 2015-16 campaign.
Baum, who returned to Augsburg as the club’s director of development last summer, oversaw nine wins, six draws, and seven defeats in 22 games during his initial tenure. The team has seen several player departures but has also bolstered its ranks with seven new additions. Among these new players are Michael Gregoritsch and Rodrigo Ribeiro, who have joined on permanent deals after previous loan spells with the club.
Augsburg started their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against third-tier Saarbrucken. Following the match against Bournemouth, they are scheduled to conclude their preparations with further games against Schwaz, Sassuolo, and Leeds United. Defender Chrislain was unlikely to feature in the match against Bournemouth due to rumours of a potential move to Premier League side Crystal Palace.
Team news and squad developments
For Bournemouth, manager Marco Rose faces the challenge of continuing the fine work of his predecessor, Andoni Iraola, who departed for Liverpool. Iraola guided the Cherries to a sixth-place finish and qualification for the European League in his final season. Rose will also need to balance the domestic schedule with the demands of the Europa League group stage.
The squad has seen one new face so far, Alvaro Rodriguez, though Rose may seek further reinforcements before the summer transfer window closes. Retaining key players is also a priority, with interest reported in Alex Scott, Rayan, and Eli Junior Kroupi. Veljko Milosavljevic was not part of the travelling party for the Austria training camp due to injury.
Tyler Adams and Rayan linked up with their teammates in Austria after missing the beginning of the trip due to their involvement in the World Cup. It was uncertain whether they would play in the friendly against Augsburg. Kroupi, who missed the win over St. Pauli due to a lack of training, was hoping to get some minutes during the match. The Augsburg lineup could have featured a back three of Noahkai Banks, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, and Calvin Brackelmann, with Ribeiro potentially starting as the central striker, possibly sharing minutes with Uchenna Ogundu. Bournemouth‘s possible starting lineup included Petrovic, Smith, Hill, Diakite, Truffert, Scott, Toth, Gannon-Doak, Kluivert, Adli, and Evanilson.
The match against Augsburg provided a tougher test than the recent encounter with St. Pauli, but Bournemouth‘s squad depth and quality ultimately secured them the victory. The Cherries concluded their Austrian training camp with a 5-2 win over Augsburg.
Source: sportsmole.co.uk
