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Liverpool’s Europa League draw against Augsburg may have appeared a kind one – but their German opponents will be relishing the draw against one of the big names of European football.

That’s the view of German football expert Archie Rhind-Tutt, a TV and radio journalist often seen on BT Sport's European football show, who has watched their Bundesliga rise with interest.

The Bavarian club enjoyed their highest ever finish in the Bundesliga last year, finishing fifth and qualified for the last 32 of the Europa League with a last-gasp 3-1 win away against Partizan Belgrade last Thursday.

And they have history with Jurgen Klopp, consigning him to the bottom of the league in his final season with Borussia Dortmund earlier this year.

Rhind-Tutt told the ECHO: “Augsburg are a side that relishes playing against the big teams.

“In the last three years they have beaten Bayern Munich twice, admittedly when Bayern had already won the title, but that’s still no small achievement.

“Back in February they enjoyed a 1-0 win at Dortmund which sent Borussia to the bottom of the Bundesliga in Jurgen Klopp’s final year there, so he will know all about them.

“Their manager Markus Weinzierl is regarded as one of Germany’s best up and coming coaches, he’s in his early 40s and has done a magnificent job.

“He’s in his fourth season and while he joined them when they were already in the Bundesliga (promoted in 2011), his predecessor (Jos Luhukay) had left feeling they had gone as far as they could go.

“They were the surprise package of the league last season.

“It’s a bunch of players who have got a common goal that enables them to achieve big things. While they have been in the relegation zone in the early weeks, no-one has really thought less of them.”

If Augsburg have a star it is Raul Bobadilla, a Paraguay international striker who scored for Young Boys against Liverpool in this competition at Anfield in November 2012.

A colourful character, Rhind-Tutt reveals Bobadilla has the faces of his parents tattooed on his chest while his late goal against Partizan was celebrated by revealing a T-shirt featuring his new born baby.

“He is the figurehead of the team but really part of their strength is that they don’t have many star players,” he said.

Players like midfielder Andre Hahn and full-back Abdul ‘Baba’ Rahman have been sold on at tidy profit, the latter for a fee of around £20m to Chelsea in the summer.

Rhind-Tutt names Paul Verhaegh as another man to watch, the captain and right-back.

“He’s an excellent penalty taker and was a member of the Dutch squad for the World Cup in Brazil. He’s one of the cornerstones of the side along with Daniel Baier, who can also captain the side and is a metronomic midfielder, excellent at keeping the ball.”

Augsburg offered to send a lawnmover to help

Another big character in the Augsburg side is goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, a Swiss international who has hit the headlines a couple of times this year.

Rhind-Tutt explained: “He was the only goalkeeper to score a goal in the Bundesliga last season. He was up in the box in about the 93rd minute (an equaliser against Beyer Leverkusen). But he made headlines in Germany recently for something he did at Cologne.

“It was 0-0 and Augsburg conceded a penalty and Hitz was spotted scuffing the penalty spot up. He saved the penalty and they went on to win the game. Cologne sent him a bill for Euros 122.93 for the damage caused to the pitch, with the money going to their charity.

“He agreed to pay and Augsburg offered to send a lawnmower over to help – one of the great misnomers is that Germans don’t have a sense of humour, as I’m sure Liverpool fans are finding out with Jurgen Klopp!”

Augsburg are only in the next round after managing to equal their home defeat to Partizan Belgrade in the return away leg last Thursday, Bobadilla grabbing a late third in a 3-1 win.

“The German press called it The Miracle of Belgrade that they got through. Just qualifying in fifth last year was an incredible achievement and seen as the biggest success in the club’s history.

“They will view everything now as a bonus but that won’t affect how they prepare for the game. It is a special time for them to be playing Liverpool, a club with such history and a club which is held up as the traditional English club in Germany. You’ve got to remember that when Liverpool were winning the Champions League in 2005, Augsburg were fourth in the German third division. It really is a fairytale story.”

In terms of playing style Rhind-Tutt says Markus Weinzierl is very flexible, capable of setting up deep, letting the opposition have the ball and hitting them on the break or establishing a possession game.

“If Liverpool do not take them seriously, Augsburg will capitalise but Klopp will know what to expect”.