Friday's pre-match press conference took place just half an hour after the draw for the Europa League had concluded – as a result, head coach Julian Schuster fielded mainly questions about the competition, rather than the upcoming trip to Cologne. "It's a mix of teams that have experience playing in the Champions League, great stadiums and a clash with Basel. There's something to be said about every team we've been drawn against," said Schuster about his side's upcoming eight European fixtures.

However, the focus for the head coach and his assistants remains firmly on Sunday's trip to Cologne for the time being, with their Europa League campaign set to get underway in September. The team are looking to get back on track after a disappointing defeat against Augsburg on the opening weekend. "There were several things that we can build on. We were punished for the few things that we did wrong, and need to seek to reduce these errors. It's important to find the right balance and to regain your focus after a setback like that," Schuster said of the 3-1 defeat.

Freiburg's first away day of the Bundesliga season sees them travel to face newly-promoted Köln, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 win against Mainz. "They are variable in terms of their tactics and can also play with a high press," Schuster shared. "We will need to prepare ourselves for several different scenarios. Anyone that's watched them play, or that knows the club, will be aware of what we can expect on Sunday. They have a new head coach and a lot of energy. It will come down to being ready to go right from the start."

There are still doubts surrounding several players ahead of Sunday's clash. Philipp Treu, Patrick Osterhage, Max Rosenfelder, Niklas Beste and Igor Matanovic have all been able to return to team training over the last week, but it remains to be seen whether any of them are fit to feature against the Billy Goats.

Photo: Achim Keller