Augsburg are alive and kicking, according to their coach Markus Weinzierl

Markus Weinzierl: In defiant mood

Augsburg are alive and kicking, according to their coach Markus Weinzierl, who said it was wrong to write them off already.

A 0-0 draw at home to Schalke lifted the Bavarians out of the bottom two for the first time all season, and they could even have beaten the Royal Blues to make it two wins in a row in 2013.

Weinzierl is therefore looking to the future with optimism, and says the critics should follow suit.

"During the winter break, many people wrote us off," he said. "They all made a mistake.

"We worked really well during the winter break and turned the right screws.

"This restart confirms that, and we're going to carry on this way. We are stable and we have delivered another good performance which gives us more self-confidence.

"We take this performance and self-confidence with us to Wolfsburg."

Augsburg had Schalke on the ropes several times in a courageous performance, and Weinzierl believes the Royal Blues could have had no complaints had they gone home empty handed.

"It was a very good performance from us," he told Sky television.

"Unfortunately, we just did not get a goal. We would have deserved it because we were the better side."