Fifth-placed RB Leipzig are all set to hit the road to square up against SC Freiburg at the Europa-Park Stadion on Saturday.
RB Leipzig are chasing a top-four finish as they look to secure Champions League football and they will square up against SC Freiburg who are looking to finish in a European spot themselves. It is going to be a high-voltage fixture as both teams have a lot at stake.
Freiburg are currently eighth in the German top flight with 36 points in their 27 matches. They are five points behind the sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and will have to end the season in the best possible way to secure a spot in the Europa Conference League.
They have not won back-to-back games in the league since the turn of the calendar and do have the opportunity to do it against Leipzig in their own backyard. They are heading into this one on the back of a clinical 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach and will be confident about their chances.
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig are fifth on the point table with 50 points in their 27 matches, and they are just three points behind fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund. They are chasing a UEFA Champions League spot and can’t really afford to drop points.
The visitors have been unbeaten in their last four league games. After suffering a defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich, they went on a three-match winning streak before playing out a draw against Mainz last time out. They will be looking to return to winning ways against Freiburg. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
SC Freiburg
The home team will be without the services of Matthias Ginter, Kenneth Schmidt, and Noah Weisshaupt while the availability of Roland Sallai and Philipp Lienhart is doubtful. Freiburg will go ahead with the 3-4-2-1 formation where Noah Atubolu will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Lukas Kubler, Yannik Keitel and Manuel Gulde.
They will look to keep things tight at the back and will have the support of Ritsu Doan and Christian Gunter who will feature at the wing-backs. Maximilian Eggestein will pair up with Nicolas Hofler in the centre of the park. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game.
Meanwhile, Merlin Rohl and Vincenzo Grifo will feature as the attacking midfielders. They will look to link up with Lucas Holer who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Atubolu; Kubler, Keitel, Gulde; Doan, Eggestein, Hofler, Gunter; Rohl, Grifo; Holer
RB Leipzig
The visitors will be without the services of Yussuf Poulsen, while they do have a boost as Amadou Haidara is back available after serving a suspension in their last outing.
RB Leipzig will start in a 4-4-2 formation, where Peter Gulacsi will be in goal. Benjamin Henrichs and David Raum will be the full-backs for the visitors, while Willi Orban will feature alongside Castello Lukeba in the heart of the defence.
Amadou Haidara will start alongside Xaver Schlager in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure their team has the majority of the ball. Dani Olmo and Xavi Simons will feature out wide on the flanks.
They will look to provide width to their attack and also help out their full-backs when needed. In attack, the inform Lois Openda will start alongside Benjamin Sesko who has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Henrichs, Orban, Castello, Raum; Olmo, Haidara, Schlager, Simons; Openda, Sesko
Key Stats
- The home team have not won consecutive games in the league since the turn of the calendar.
- RB Leipzig have been unbeaten in all competitions since losing to Bayern Munich in February.
- SC Freiburg do not really have that great a track record against Leipzig as they haven’t won in their last ten meetings.
- SC Freiburg have been winless in their last four home games.
- Lois Openda has already scored 19 Bundesliga goals in his debut season in Germany.
Player to Watch
Dani Olmo
Olmo has struggled with injuries for the majority of the ongoing season but when available he has surely had an impact on the performance of the team. The 25-year-old Spanish international has featured in a total of 20 matches this season and has 11 goal contributions in less than 1,300 minutes of first-team football. He is fully fit and will look to add to his tally when he takes the field against Freiburg.
Prediction
SC Freiburg 1-2 RB Leipzig
Both teams will push hard for all three points as they look to fulfil their ambitions for the 2023/24 season with only a few fixtures to go. While Freiburg will give it their all, they might not have enough in their tank to go past Leipzig who have been in great form of late. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
