It will be the second time in the club’s European history that Freiburg have faced a Dutch side. Back in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup, the team captained by Richard Golz put in a brave display against eventual winners Feyenoord in the third round, losing narrowly after a 1-0 defeat in Rotterdam and a 2-2 draw in the return leg.

Now, 24 years after that meeting with Feyenoord, SC welcome FC Utrecht to the Europa-Park Stadion. Under head coach Ron Jans, the Eredivisie side currently sit eighth in the Dutch top flight with 13 points from nine matches, though they are still searching for their first points in this season’s Europa League.

Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, Julian Schuster highlighted Utrecht’s defensive strength above all. The Dutch side also boast a familiar name in attack in Sébastien Haller. “He’s often the target for long balls – he’s the kind of player who brings more than just his goalscoring ability,” said Schuster of the tall striker. Sitting alongside him, Philipp Lienhart added: “He’s a physically strong player, so we’ll need to stay close and deny him chances. And the players around him are technically very good too – all of them capable of scoring goals.”

Looking for the right balance

At the other end, Igor Matanovic is a candidate to start up front. “For me it’s always important that the boys earn it and push themselves forward. Igor is one of those who makes my decisions tougher week by week,” explained Schuster. With rotation likely, he stressed the importance of “finding the right balance”, particularly with only two days between fixtures. “It may well be that someone who starts tomorrow will also start on Sunday – and then we manage their workload over the course of the game.”

Florian Müller and Patrick Osterhage have been ruled out for Thursday with muscular issues. The latter could, however, return to the squad for Sunday’s Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen. “I’m hopeful and planning with him for Sunday,” said Schuster.

Probation after Basel match

Following the use of pyrotechnics in the home end during the Europa League match against FC Basel, UEFA have fined SC Freiburg €20,000. The club has also been warned that a repeat offence could result in a partial stadium closure. Addressing the issue, Schuster said: “We’re aware that we’re effectively on probation. Everyone has been warned and we can’t let things get out of hand. The fans are hugely important to us, and we need every single one of them.”

Photo: SC Freiburg