There is more than just the Bundesliga to think about for SC Freiburg at the moment, with the ongoing Europa League playoffs and the upcoming DFB-Pokal semi-final draw on Sunday determining their opponents in the next stage of each competition. While SC aren’t in action in either tournament at the moment, they can still hope for a favourable draw in both.

“It’s great to be able to play against such strong teams,” said head coach Julian Schuster in his press conference ahead of his side’s meeting with the Foals on Sunday, adding that he is hoping for a home tie in the Pokal semi-finals. “We’re highly motivated going into the final third of the season.”
SC have three Bundesliga fixtures to contend before they can resume their cup campaign, with games against Mönchengladbach, Frankfurt and Leverkusen all on the agenda.

A short breather following the recent run of midweek fixtures comes at a good time for Freiburg’s coaching staff, as it provides the opportunity to put more work in on the training ground. “We’re grateful for the weeks in which we can prepare for our opponents with more intensity,” said Schuster.

A week’s gap between the heavy defeat to Hoffenheim and the game against the Foals has another advantage, as the 40-year-old explained: “It was important to just stop and reflect after the Hoffenheim game and take stock of where we’re at at this point in the season.”

SC are in a good position in all three competitions, with twelve Bundesliga matchdays still to play. Schuster’s side sit in eighth place in the league with 30 points. Meanwhile, Mönchengladbach have seen a dip in form recently after a strong autumn spell and now sit just three points above the relegation play-off spot.

Schuster will have to go without another key player this weekend, as Max Rosenfelder is unavailable. The centre-back was forced off the pitch with a thigh injury just minutes after coming on as a substitute against TSG Hoffenheim and will be sidelined for the time being. According to Schuster, Lukas Kübler and Philipp Lienhart are “heading in the right direction,” but Sunday’s game comes too soon for either of them

Photo: SC Freiburg