After reaching the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal in midweek, SC Freiburg will now travel to face RB Leipzig on Saturday. Kick-off at the Red Bull Arena will be at 15:30 CET.
After a 3-0 win against Hertha last weekend was followed by a thrilling 2-1 victory against Bochum in the cup, SC Freiburg are now looking to make it three from three this week. Head coach Christian Streich was pleased with their performance in midweek, saying “Tonight, we’re the ones celebrating, but a few weeks ago it was the other way around. It was a great game, in which every player gave it everything.” Now, three days later, captain Christian Günter and Co. will look to pick up where they left off in the league against Leipzig. “It’s a really big challenge for us,” Streich admitted.
Compared to earlier this season, Streich said that Leipzig are “much stronger and more stable,” ever since head coach Domenico Tedesco took charge of the club in December 2021. “They have lots of options in attack and are solid at the back again,” said the 56-year-old. RB are currently level on points with SC (40), but are in fourth place due to their superior goal difference. “We saw how strong their defence was in Bochum. Only a few teams are capable of defending that well in such a close game,” Streich said about Leipzig’s 1-0 win against VfL last weekend.
Still without a win in Leipzig
In terms of their success on the pitch this season, both teams have been competing on the same level. In addition to both being in the top third of the table, both Leipzig and SC have reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal, with RBL beating Hannover 4-0 on Wednesday – extra motivation for Streich’s side.
“We are highly motivated, because we are in a good position,” Streich said ahead of the game. He added, “We want to give it our all in order to deliver a strong performance. We are really looking forward to it and don’t have anything to lose.” Freiburg are still without a win away at Leipzig in the Bundesliga. “It’s about time,” Streich said.
Nicolas Höfler will miss the match after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Hertha last weekend. Yannik Keitel will also be out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery on his toe.
Photo: Achim Keller
