Heading into the final day of the season, there's still plenty of 'what will happen, if…' speculation going on surrounding the race for the final two Champions League spots. SC are one of the sides still in the running to qualify for Europe's premier cup competition next season, alongside Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. Should Dortmund manage to beat Holstein Kiel at home, then SC will need to beat Frankfurt in order to finish in a UCL spot. Should Dortmund be held to a draw, then Freiburg only need to match that result in order to remain in fourth place. In the event of the first scenario, then SC would even manage to finish in third place, equalling their best ever finish in the Bundesliga (also finished third in their second top-flight campaign back in 1994/95).  

Head coach Julian Schuster is well aware of all the potential scenarios heading into the final matchday. "We're prepared for every scenario and have even rehearsed for them in part," he said. "What we achieved last week is fantastic for this club. That gives us an additional boost." Last weekend's 2-1 win against Kiel meant that Freiburg were guaranteed to finish no lower than fifth, guaranteeing them a spot in at least the Europa League for the third time.

Young Frankfurt side

Against Kiel, Schuster named his youngest starting line-up of the season, with an average age of 25.9 years. Frankfurt's starting XI in their 2-2 draw against St. Pauli had an average age of 25.6 years, older than some of their previous line ups this term. Head coach Dino Toppmöller has twice sent out a side with an average age under 24 years this term.

The Eagles announced on Thursday that Toppmöller had extended his contract at the club until 2028, with the head coach saying after last weekend's 2-2 draw that "The pressure is on Freiburg, because they have to win." Schuster was then asked for his thoughts on the 44-year-old's words, with the SC coach responding "Anyone who thinks about it for more than two seconds will be able to answer the question themselves."

Plenty of options available

Freiburg's last two home games against Eintracht Frankfurt both ended in draws (1-1, 3-3). Their upcoming opponents from Hesse have been in the top four since matchday four and have enjoyed a strong season so far. "When you're up against a team like that, then it's always important to be able to be variable in defence. At times, you might find yourself pushed back into your own half, which is normal. If I compare the match earlier this season to our recent games, then there's definitely a clear improvement to see," said Schuster.

With the exception of Eren Dinkci, who has been dealing with a muscular issue of late, the head coach will have plenty of options at his disposal this weekend. Regardless of which players will be able to feature, Schuster named two attributes that played a key part in their success over the past weeks: "Patience and discipline are words that are extremely important for us and that have always been key for us in the past, in order to remain calm during games."

The head coach has also picked up on the fact that the attention surrounding the final game of the season is different than usual. "Of course you can feel it, and that's the nice thing about football, that it can really captivate a city," he said. "But, that won't help us out on the pitch." Instead, the head coach is hoping for a similar level of support as seen during the home game against Leverkusen. "That was the right mix and it wasn't too much. On the one hand, we need the support and on the other, it's also important for us to keep our emotions in check. We've been able to do that well over the last weeks."

Photo: Achim Keller