RB Leipzig vs Freiburg

RB Leipzig will be looking to fight their way back into the Bundesliga top four when they meet Freiburg at the Red Bull Arena this weekend.

Leipzig missed a catalog of chances but still claimed a 2-1 win at Red Star Belgrade to seal qualification for the Champions League knockouts with two games to spare. More importantly, a narrow triumph in Serbia ended Leipzig’s two-game losing run, which included an early DFB-Pokal exit at the hands of Wolfsburg and a disheartening 2-0 loss to Bundesliga strugglers Mainz 05. Playing at home was supposed to offer manager Marco Rose a respite, but his men have delivered a mixed bag of performance at the Red Bull Arena lately (W2, D1, L2). Freiburg’s visit should be what the doctor ordered for ‘Die Rotten Bullen’ as they’ve been victorious in five of their seven all-time Bundesliga H2Hs as hosts (D2), including a 3-1 win in this corresponding fixture last term.

As for Freiburg, a thumping 5-0 Europa League win over TSC Backa Topola in midweek knocked them down from an underwhelming three-match winless run in all competitions (D1, L2), bolstering their spirits ahead of this historically daunting trip. The visitors’ poor away form only serves to compound Christian Streich’s concerns, with his side suffering three defeats on five Bundesliga travels this season (W1, D1), all of which saw them concede 2+ goals at an average of 3.33 per game. Like that’s not concerning enough, goals have been at a premium for Freiburg on hostile turf as they’ve only netted three across those five away matches. But for what it’s worth, Streich’s men have been entertainers, with their last eight competitive games featuring over 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring contest.