SC Freiburg have made a perfect start to this new season, winning all three competitive matches contested so far. Following the UEFA Conference League play-off stage and the first round of the DFB-Pokal, Sunday’s fixture will be Freiburg’s fourth competitive match in just ten days and a third different competition already. “Now it really gets going,” said Philipp Treu. “We started last season with two defeats, and we absolutely cannot let that happen again. We want to keep up the momentum we’re building.”

Head coach Julian Schuster also still has last season’s opening fixtures firmly in mind, when SC suffered defeats at home to FC Augsburg (3-1) and away at 1. FC Köln (4-1). “We remember those games, and that’s also helped us during our preparations this time around. For all the progress we’ve made, we mustn’t forget the basics,” said Schuster. “We played a good game in terms of our performance against Augsburg, but still left the pitch having lost 3-1.”

Recent success against Werder

A record of seven wins from the last eight Bundesliga meetings with Werder gives Freiburg fans reason to be confident ahead of Sunday’s affair. Before last season, SCF had also gone six consecutive seasons unbeaten in their opening Bundesliga fixture. Set pieces could prove decisive in what will hopefully be another positive start to the campaign. Seven of SC’s twelve goals in competitive action so far this season have come from dead-ball situations.

Werder have strengthened their squad over the summer with a number of notable arrivals, including Niclas Füllkrug, Ludovit Reis and Eren Dinkci, whose loan sees him swap Breisgau for the Weser. “They are a dynamic team, and we have to work intensively and thoroughly as we prepare to come up against them,” said Schuster.

Expectations in Bremen are particularly high around returning striker Füllkrug, but Schuster believes the Germany international is well equipped to handle the pressure. “He’s a player who shoulders a lot of responsibility and can get the best out of his teammates.” Not least due to the addition of Füllkrug, Schuster was keen to emphasise that Werder represent “a different level of quality” compared to Conference League play-off opponent Motherwell F.C.

Photo: Achim Keller