Borussia Dortmund will look to finally kick-start their season when they take on SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga this weekend.
The international break is finally done and dusted, and Bundesliga action returns this week. The action begins with the top-of-the-table clash between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. And the action will continue on Saturday with a tantalising fixture as SC Freiburg prepare to host Borussia Dortmund.
Freiburg have finished in the upper half of the Bundesliga five times since hiring manager Christian Streich midway through 2011/12. But last season was arguably the best in the modern era as they finished fifth in the Bundesliga with 59 points.
Still, the general consensus was that it could have gone even better with Champions League qualification. However, they wasted the opportunity, with only three points in the last four games. Streich’s troops have started the season on a high, claiming a DFB-Pokal victory over Oberachern before securing back-to-back league victories against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen.
However, much of the positivity from the opening weeks of the season was lost as they shockingly suffered a 5-0 defeat to Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The manner in which they succumbed to the will concerns Streich. On a positive note for the Breisgau-Brasilianer, they remain in eighth place and ahead of their upcoming opponents in the standings.
Like Freiburg, Borussia Dortmund cannot claim to have been convincing during the early weeks of the season. Eden Terzic is already under pressure as they have not really picked up as expected after going so close to dethroning Bayern Munich’s supremacy last time out.
They threw away a two-goal lead against Heidenheim to snatch a draw from the clutches of victory prior to the international break. The visitors will look to return to winning ways when they face Freiburg this Saturday, but a tricky test is in store for Dortmund. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of their much-awaited encounter in Freiburg this weekend.
Team News and Tactics
SC Freiburg
Die Pressekonferenz vor #SCFBVB in voller Länge 👇https://t.co/O3GIFoDFf0
— SC Freiburg (@scfreiburg) September 14, 2023
Captain and starting left-back Christian Gunter remains sidelined with a broken arm and will not return to training for at least one and a half months. Striker Lucas Holer will miss the game with an ankle injury and is scheduled to return in early October, while midfielders Yannik Keitel (adductor) and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (ACL) are also sidelined.
First-choice goalkeeper Noah Atubolu got called up for the Germany Under-21s but did not feature due to ankle problems. With Atubolu questionable for the Borussia Dortmund game, Florian Muller could start on goal, with Freiburg lining up in Streich’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
Maximilian Philipp could feature against his former club off the substitute bench. Defender Matthias Ginter will be another player to watch as he goes up against his old club on Saturday night.
In attack, the hosts look set to start with Michael Gregoritsch as the target man up top, while Roland Sallai, Ritsu Doan, and Vincenzo Grifo should operate in the supporting role behind the Austrian forward.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Muller; Kubler, Gunter, Lienhart, Schmidt; Eggestein, Hofler; Sallai, Doan, Grifo; Gregoritsch
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund boss Eden Terzic will be without the services of a number of key players through injury this weekend, with Julien Duranville (thigh), Thomas Meunier (thigh), and Mateu Morey Bauza (knee) still occupying the treatment room.
New signing Niclas Füllkrug is in major doubt as a result of the thigh injury that he has been dealing with since before his move from Werder Bremen, while Terzic will also be sweating over Gregor Kobel’s fitness ahead of this weekend’s trip to Freiburg after his first-choice goalkeeper was ruled out of Switzerland’s clash against Andorra due to a minor thigh issue.
BVB should be boosted by the return of Gio Reyna to the squad, but the USMNT winger will have to contend with a spot on the bench, with Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi anticipated to join star striker Sebastien Haller in the visitors’ three-man front-line.
Summer signing from Bayern, midfielder Marcel Sabitzer has begun the season in the starting XI and will retain his spot here. In the last game against Heidenheim, he found himself involved in attacking plays but was wasteful in finishing his chances, which he will be looking to improve upon going forward.
Defensive midfielder Emre Can will be the key man in the middle of the park for the visitors as they look to scrape past Freiburg. Meanwhile, Julian Brandt will be the creative hub for them, with the German playmaker looking to pull the strings in the final third. At the back, there should be only one change from the last game, with Alexander Meyer deputising in between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meyer; Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Can, Brandt; Malen, Haller, Adeyemi
Key Stats
- Freiburg have lost their last three Bundesliga matches against Borussia Dortmund, conceding 13 goals in the process.
- Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in 22 of their last 24 matches against Freiburg in all competitions.
- Freiburg have only scored three times in the Bundesliga this season so far. Only three teams have scored fewer, two of whom are in the relegation zone.
- Freiburg have lost just two of their last 17 Bundesliga encounters at the Europa-Park Stadion.
- Freiburg have not conceded more than one goal in their last 17 Bundesliga home games.
Player to Watch
Donyell Malen
The Borussia Dortmund forward is one of the very few players who have picked up where they left off last season. The 24-year-old has scored in three of BVB’s four games so far this season and will look to continue his fine run of form after the international break.
He will certainly be coming into Saturday’s game on a high, as he looked lively for the Dutch in their crucial victory over Ireland in Group B of the European Championship qualifiers.
Prediction
SC Freiburg 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Having let a two-goal lead slip against Heidenheim two weeks ago, the Black and Yellows will know that anything other than the three points against Freiburg would heap more pressure on the team and Terzic.
Freiburg are a different beast and a rock-solid outfit on home soil, as proven by their record at the Europa-Park Stadion. With both teams looking to bounce back and undoubted quality in forward areas, we expect Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund to find the back of the net, but their efforts will likely cancel each other out in a low-scoring share of spoils.