Freiburg, a team with ambitions focused on European competition, endeavors to secure their third Bundesliga triumph in four outings as they prepare to face RB Leipzig at the Europa-Park Stadion on Saturday. Notably, the Breisgau Brazilians have struggled to string together successive victories in the league since the previous year, making this upcoming gameweek 28 encounter pivotal in their pursuit. Meanwhile, their opponents, RB Leipzig, are determined to maintain proximity to fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund as they vie for qualification to the prestigious UEFA Champions League in the forthcoming season.
Match preview
Freiburg’s recent match, following the announcement of Christian Streich’s departure from the club after a tenure of 12 years, resulted in a notable 3-0 victory against Borussia Monchengladbach. The team now returns to Europa-Park Stadion, aiming to halt a four-game winless streak in the Bundesliga in front of their home supporters. Their last Bundesliga triumph at home occurred against Hoffenheim in January.
The lack of consecutive league victories since December 2023 raises concerns for the eighth-placed club, which currently trails Leipzig by 14 points but is only five points behind Eintracht Frankfurt in sixth position. Freiburg aims to secure a sixth-place finish in the remaining weeks of the season under Streich’s guidance, but achieving this goal requires consistent performance to secure a spot in European competitions for the upcoming season.
However, Freiburg faces a formidable challenge against their upcoming opponent, having failed to secure a victory in their last 10 encounters, with six losses and four draws since their last triumph in 2019. Additionally, the team has struggled against the league’s top five, accumulating only one point out of a possible 27 during the 2023-24 season.
In contrast, the visiting team enters the upcoming match in a more favorable position despite their recent goalless draw against Mainz. Under Marco Rose’s leadership, the team remains unbeaten in all competitions since their defeat against Bayern Munich in February, securing three wins and two draws. Domestically, they are on a four-game unbeaten streak, including three victories and the aforementioned draw.
The recent draw against Mainz could pose a challenge for Die Roten Bullen’s aspirations to overtake Borussia Dortmund for the fourth position in the ongoing competition for Champions League qualification. With only three points separating the two clubs in the final seven rounds, and with Stuttgart holding a seven-point lead over Leipzig and a four-point lead over BVB in third place, finishing fifth may still be a viable option for Rose’s team. However, this outcome is contingent on Germany successfully securing an additional Champions League slot over England in the ongoing competition.
Team News
Streich faces several injury concerns ahead of the upcoming fixture, with Matthias Ginter (Achilles), Kenneth Schmidt (abdominal), and Noah Weisshaupt (ankle) anticipated to be sidelined. Additionally, Roland Sallai and Philipp Lienhart (knee) are uncertain for Saturday’s match.
Vincenzo Grifo and Lucas Holer have proven to be pivotal offensive assets for the home team, having collectively scored seven goals in the league, thus establishing themselves as prominent attacking threats for the Breisgau Brazilians.
Die Roten Bullen’s squad is notably missing Yussuf Poulsen (muscle) for their forthcoming encounter in Frankfurt.
Amadou Haidara is poised to return to the visitors’ midfield following a one-game suspension due to accumulation of five yellow cards, which caused his absence in the recent match against Mainz.
Lois Openda showcased his prowess by scoring twice in Leipzig’s previous away fixture against Koln (resulting in a 5-1 victory), highlighting his potential to further bolster his impressive tally of 19 league goals during the upcoming weekend.
Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Atubolu; Kubler, Keitel, Gulde; Doan, Eggestein, Hofler, Gunter; Rohl, Grifo; Holer
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Henrichs, Orban, Castello, Raum; Olmo, Haidara, Schlager, Simons; Openda, Sesko