Professionals, 2. February 2024
Record against Freiburg
Overall: 48 games. 26 wins, 5 draws, 17 defeats. 81:63 goal difference.
In the Bundesliga: 43 games. 22 wins, 5 draws, 16 defeats. 74:58 goal difference.
Looking back
VfB won the reverse fixture 5-0 at home on Matchday 3 of the current campaign. Chris Führich and Serhou Guirassy each struck twice, with Enzo Millot also adding his name to the scoresheet on what was VfB’s biggest win over Freiburg to date.
The standings
VfB are in third place going into Matchday 20, while Freiburg are seventh.
The coaches’ views
Freiburg coach Christian Streich, for whom this will be the 22nd match against VfB during his time at the helm: “We have to be ready for all eventualities. VfB have a lot of options. First and foremost, it’s about how we perform on the pitch and how we compete with them. They’ve got a very good team who are doing well both in terms of tactics and performances. And they absolutely deserve to be where they are right now – in the Champions League places.”
Sebastian Hoeneß: ““This match is a huge chance for us to pick up where we left off against Leipzig. Freiburg will be a different game, but we have to start well again and then see what questions Freiburg pose us. It’s a difficult place to go because they’re strong at home again.”
Goals
There have been 162 goals across the 43 Bundesliga encounters between these teams, averaging 3.77 per game.
This fixture has never produced more than six goals in a single match. VfB have won 4-2 on two occasions (October 1996 and August 2009), and there has been one 3-3 draw (September 2018).
Personnel
Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß must do without Serhou Guirassy, Silas (both at AFCON), Wooyeong Jeong and Hiroki Ito (both at the Asian Cup) as well as injured duo Nikolas Nartey and Dan-Axel Zagadou.
Freiburg are without Philipp Lienhart, Kenneth Schmidt, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Max Rosenfelder (all injured) and Ritsu Doan (AFC Asian Cup).
Spectators
At least 3,400 fans will cheer on VfB in Freiburg. The away section is completely sold out.