Our next opponents: Solid, adaptable, successful

Position

SC Freiburg have carried on from where they left off last season when the team from the Breisgau qualified for the Europa League with a sixth-place finish and they only lost out on penalties to RB Leipzig in the DFB Cup final. SCF have made a good start with three wins in four games for only the second time in the club’s history. Last weekend they beat VfL Bochum 1-0 in a spectacular game with both sides hitting the woodwork twice. It was a hard-fought three points. “It’s extremely important in a season that you come out on top in games like that and don’t concede a late equaliser,” captain Christian Günter explained. The team has long had a habit of winning tight games. Freiburg achieved that again the week before too. “A stuffy win,” said goalkeeper Mark Flekken in describing the narrow 1-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the Baden-Württemberg derby, which he contributed to with some impressive saves. The 29-year-old Dutchman made a blunder in the 3-1 defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two, when he let a shot from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens slip through his fingers. The team from the Breisgau also conceded a goal by BVB that should have been ruled out.

“Every point we pick up before we play in Europe is worth it’s weight in gold,” said Christian Streich after the win in Stuttgart. For the 57-year-old, who was recently voted coach of the year in a vote by German sports journalists in kicker, the game against VfB was his four hundredth match in charge as the coach at SC Freiburg.

PersonNEl

Streich will probably be able to call on his holding midfielder Maximilian Eggestein for the game in Leverkusen after he broke his wrist in the match at Stuttgart. The 25-year-old has taken part in full training again and could well return to his usual slot in the team alongside Nicholas Höfler in defensive midfield.

Right-back Lukas Kübler (30) has returned to training after the muscle injury he suffered in the cup game at FC Kaiserslautern and he could be in the squad on Saturday. The game has probably come too soon for a place in the starting eleven particularly as he has been more than adequately replaced by the young Kiliann Sildillia (20). The Frenchman, actually a central defender, has provided two assists but did show susceptibility in defence at Stuttgart. At the left of the back four is captain Christian Günter. Returnee Matthias Ginter (28) plus the Austrian Philipp Lienhart (26) have been in impressive form.

In attack, Streich has relied on the quartet of Roland Sallai, Ritsu Doan, Vincenzo Grifo and Michael Gregoritsch in all four games so far. The Hungarian Sallai (25) usually plays as a ten while the Japanese Doan (24), a new signing from PSV Eindhoven, mainly plays on the right. The Italy international Grifo (29) on the left flank is currently top scorer with three goals. Up top, new signing Michael Gregoritsch (28) from FC Augsburg has also been on form with two goals and one assist. The 6 foot 4 striker is extremely strong in the air and an excellent target man. “He makes our game adaptable because he plays so well,” said Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach about the Austria international. Of course, you can’t forget Nils Petersen. the 33-year-old has made three short appearances from the bench but has yet to score.

PERFORMERS

The defence. The Sport Club have kept three clean sheets this term. “That doesn’t happen by chance,” said Christian Günter. “We have to maintain the hunger to defend,” which was evident in the 1-0 wins against Stuttgart and Bochum with Mark Flekken in the role of a matchwinner. It is not just the back four that defends with determination and passion. “We all have to get on board as the way the lads up front work, perform and run is extreme,” said Günter. SCF are a well-balanced team and they are very adaptable. The VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo believes Freiburg can do everything: “build-up play, long balls, second balls, set pieces.” Talking about set pieces: SC Freiburg have been one of the teams in the league to score the most goals from set plays. And they have definitely have not got any weaker with the signing of Gregoritsch.

ProblemS

World Cup winner Matthias Ginter, who returned to his hometown after eight years away with Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, has sounded a warning: “When the weeks with midweek fixtures come we won’t always be able to win with defensive battles as in the games against Stuttgart and Bochum.” SCF particularly struggled to create chances in the second half at Stuttgart. Streich: “It was a really lucky win, it’s not particularly typical of us to win a game like that. Actually we can’t with form like that.” That means: A strong team like SCF will look to take the initiative more in the future.

PrEDICTION

With the exception of the departure of Nico Schlotterbeck to Borussia Dortmund, SC Freiburg managed to keep the team intact. There have been sensible additions to the squad. And new signings like Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists for St. Pauli last season, and the yet to appear talent Merlin Röhl from FC Ingolstadt look likely to make fans in the Black Forest very happy. In contrast to their last campaign in the Europa League in 2013/14, Freiburg look well-equipped to deal with the different competitions. “The solidity of key players, our quality and the depth of the squad are now completely different,” said sporting director Klemens Hartenbach. Freiburg are set to play Olympiacos, Qarabag (Azerbaijan) and FC Nantes in the group stage giving them a good chance of going through. And SC Freiburg are again in with a good chance of qualifying for Europe in the league.