For the second time this year, SC made use of the international break to face off against Karlsruher SC in a friendly contest. Back in March, KSC ran out 2-1 victors in the Baden-Württemberg clash. With 15 points picked up from eight games in the 2. Bundesliga so far this season, the side have started 2025/26 well and currently sit seventh in the German second division.

Noah Atubolu, Philipp Lienhart, Johan Manzambi and Bruno Ogbus are currently away on international duty, and were therefore unavailable to take part in the match held on the training pitch next to the Europa-Park Stadion. Of the eleven players to start for Freiburg against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday, only Lucas Höler was named in the XI to kick-off the affair against KSC this Thursday.

Höler started alongside Yuito Suzuki in the attack behind a sole striker in Igor Matanovic. The latter two combined early on to give SC a lead that just kept growing as the game progressed. Suzuki drove with the ball through the middle of the park into the box and played a deft ball across to the Croatia international, who fired home a low driven effort from 15 yards out to make it 1-0 (3’).

SC race into a 3-0 lead

SC’s next two attempts on goal would also end in success. After just nine minutes, Derry Scherhant’s pinpoint cross found Höfler at the near post, who headed the ball on towards the centre of the box. Anthony Jung had made a clever run into the area, and only had to tap the delivery into the net from five yards out to make it 2-0. Only a couple of minutes later, Matanovic managed to lay a delivery from Jordy Makengo off to Höfler, and assister turned goalscorer as he beat Robin Himmelmann with a perfectly placed finish from 20 yards out (11’).

The floodgates had been wide open for SC in the first phase of play, but the visitors did eventually grow into the game. After 21 minutes, Shio Fukuda tested Florian Müller in Freiburg’s goal with an effort from 20 yards that took a slight deflection. Down the other end, Himmelmann managed to temporarily prevent head coach Christian Eichner’s side from going 4-0 down after using his feet to deny Matanovic from scoring his second of the day (23'). 

Upon the next corner delivery from Scherhant, however, the 36-year-old keeper was unable to keep the deficit from growing. On this occasion, Lukas Kübler rose higher than anyone else in the middle of the box and headed home to add a fourth for Freiburg (34’) before both sides headed in for half time.

Scherhant adds to SC’s tally after the break

Head coach Julian Schuster’s side emerged with a different full-back pairing for the second 45, as Philipp Treu and Christian Günter replaced Lukas Kübler and Jordy Makengo. The changes didn’t by any means diminish Freiburg’s incredible momentum in the match. The hosts had the game firmly by the scruff of the neck and made it five in the 53rd minute. Eren Dinkci won the ball in a dangerous position in KSC’s half, and played in Matanovic, who in turn found Scherhant to finish off the move, who added a goal to his haul of two assists with a shot drilled low and hard into KSC’s net.

The new signing from Hertha BSC was clearly enjoying his afternoon against Karlsruher SC. Just 13 minutes after scoring his first of the affair, the left-winger cut into the middle, played a delightful one-two pass with Suzuki and notched his second goal of the day. “Even though there was so much quality on display going forward, it’s just as important to me, if not more, that we kept a clean sheet,” said Julian Schuster after the game. “Having taken such an early lead, the fact that we remained so sharp and so disciplined for the rest of the match is the basis of a great game for us.”

Yuito Suzuki rounded off the impressive goalscoring display in the 78th minute with the most aesthetic finish of the day. The 23-year-old drove inside from the left and curled a beautiful effort right into the corner. The scoreline would remain at 7-0, as Himmelmann made another two fantastic saves to deny the substitutes Maximilian Eggestein (89’) and Junior Adamu (90’) from making it eight to the good for SC.

SC are back in action on Sunday, 19th October (15:30 CEST), as they take on Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday 7 of the Bundesliga season. Karlsruher SC play the day before, as they kick off at 13:00 CEST against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the second division.

SC Freiburg XI: Müller – Kübler (46’, Treu), Rosenfelder, Jung (70’, Ginter), Makengo (46’, Günter) – Höfler – Dinkci (70’, Beste), Suzuki, Höler (70’, Eggestein), Scherhant (70’, Grifo) – Matanovic (70’, Adamu)

Goals: 1-0 Matanovic (3’), 2-0 Jung (9’), 3-0 Höfler (11’), 4-0 Kübler (34’), 5-0 Scherhant (53.), 6-0 Scherhant (66’), 7-0 Suzuki (78’)

Referee: Martin Wilke

Photo: Achim Keller