Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund, separated by just a solitary point in the Bundesliga table, are gearing up for a thrilling showdown at the Europa-Park Stadion this Saturday.
While the hosts have clinched two victories in their three league outings this season, the visitors remain unbeaten with one win and two draws under their belt.
Match Preview:
Freiburg faced a shocking 5-0 defeat at the hands of Stuttgart just before the international break. The match saw Stuttgart racing into a 3-0 lead within 19 minutes, further adding to Freiburg’s misery with Chris Fuhrich and Serhou Guirassy both scoring twice in the rout.
However, Freiburg had started the season strong, with an easy DFB-Pokal victory over Oberachern and consecutive league wins against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen.
Notably, only Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen have collected more points than Freiburg after three games.
Therefore, Christian Streich’s side is poised to bounce back from their recent setback, given their impressive home record at the Europa-Park Stadion.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund, who narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title last season, have had a mixed start to the current campaign.
They secured a narrow 1-0 victory over FC Koln but followed it up with draws against VfL Bochum and newly-promoted Heidenheim, leaving them four points behind the early frontrunners.
Despite their struggles, Dortmund has remained undefeated in their last 11 Bundesliga outings. This resilience, combined with their attacking prowess, makes them confident of kick-starting their campaign.
Team News:
Freiburg is dealing with several injury concerns, including Noah Atubolu, Christian Gunter, Lucas Holer, Yannik Keitel, and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh.
Their expected starting lineup features Michael Gregoritsch as the lone striker, supported by Roland Sallai, Lucas Holer, and Vincenzo Grifo.
Borussia Dortmund also faces injury woes, with Julien Duranville, Niclas Fullkrug, Gregor Kobel, Thomas Meunier, and Mateu Morey Bauza sidelined.
Additionally, there are doubts about the fitness of Giovanni Reyna and Ramy Bensebaini.
In their probable starting XI, Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi join Sebastien Haller in the forward line, while Marcel Sabitzer, Emre Can, and Julian Brandt form the midfield trio.
Predicted Lineups:
Freiburg:
- Atubolu
- Sildillia
- Ginter
- Lienhart
- Kubler
- Eggestein
- Hofler
- Sallai
- Holer
- Grifo
- Gregoritsch
Borussia Dortmund:
- Meyer
- Wolf
- Sule
- Schlotterbeck
- Bensebaini
- Sabitzer
- Can
- Brandt
- Malen
- Haller
- Adeyemi
Match Prediction:
We anticipate an exciting, high-scoring encounter between Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund as both teams aim to return to their winning ways. A draw appears to be the most likely outcome at the Europa-Park Stadion.