2–2 in Augsburg – 80 Good Minutes, Ten Minutes Asleep

There are matches after which you are not quite sure whether you have gained a point or thrown two away. The 2–2 draw at Augsburg belongs exactly in that category. Bayer 04 were the better side for long spells, deservedly took the lead, finished with 30 shots and 63 per cent possession – and still needed Patrik Schick in the 89th minute just to rescue something. Standard Bayer madness, really: do plenty right, then nearly ruin the entire afternoon with ten minutes of collective sleepwalking.

Carles Martínez made two changes from the 4–0 win over Union. Moussa Diaby started for the first time since his return, while Christian Kofane was preferred to Schick up front. That decision paid off. After a long ball from Edmond Tapsoba, Kofane controlled it brilliantly, beat his man and finished for 1–0. It was not just a lovely goal, but also a reminder that Bayer have more than one reliable option through the middle.

I liked the first half. Tapsoba and Facundo Medina largely kept Augsburg away from goal, Ibrahim Maza was a threat and Diaby added pace. The 1–0 lead was deserved and probably too narrow. That is why what happened after the break was so difficult to accept. Suddenly, almost all of the defensive order disappeared. For the equaliser, Augsburg came through far too easily before Gregoritsch finished through Flekken’s legs. Five minutes later, the same player was completely unmarked at the far post from a corner and headed in for 2–1. For me, that is more than just a brief lapse in concentration. In that sequence, it was simply poor defending.

The second goal in particular should never happen. From a corner, everyone knows the dangerous areas and who needs to be picked up. Yet Gregoritsch was standing there almost completely free. No pressure, no proper marking, apparently not enough communication either. He practically had time to recite his postcode before anyone in a Bayer shirt noticed that he was alone in the box. If we seriously want to compete near the top of the table, we cannot defend like that. It had nothing to do with bad luck. It was just not good enough.

And that is currently the sore point of this team for me. We talk a lot about the attacking quality – Schick, Kofane, Diaby, Maza and all the options going forward. But what is the point of having all that talent if the defensive structure can disappear within a few minutes? We already saw in Elversberg how quickly Bayer can lose control without the ball. Against Union, the response was excellent. In Augsburg, the same problem appeared again, even if only for a short spell. It cannot become a pattern.

At least Bayer did not collapse this time. Maza appeared to equalise, only for VAR to rule the goal out because of an earlier foul by Quansah. Martínez brought on Schick and Guéla Doué, and from then on it was almost one-way traffic. Augsburg dropped deep, Bayer crossed, shot and pushed – only to find another leg, another block or another bit of imprecision in the way. Thirty attempts sound dominant. They can also describe an awful lot of frustration.

Then came Schick. Of course he did. In the 89th minute, he redirected a mishit effort from Malik Tillman with his heel into the far corner. 2–2. Technically excellent, instinctive and exactly the sort of finish that makes him so valuable. Schick does not always need the perfect move. Sometimes half a second in the box is enough.

Overall, Bayer played a decent away game against the league leaders and deserved the point. Kofane scored, Schick scored, Diaby added pace and Doué got his first minutes. But I do not want those positives to hide the main problem. The attack is currently capable of repairing a lot of defensive mistakes. That is not a sustainable plan.

Four points from three matches are no disaster. But they also show that this Werkself are still a long way from being truly stable at the back. If we want to challenge near the top, it is not enough to score attractive goals. We also have to stop turning controlled matches into rescue missions because of two badly defended situations.

Maybe the lesson from Augsburg is actually very simple: Up front, we have enough quality to rescue almost any game. At the back, we really need to stop making them do it.