Freiburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen – News and Probable Lineups

Freiburg aims to capitalize on their stellar home form as they host Bayer Leverkusen at the Europa-Park Stadion for a crucial Saturday afternoon match.

The Breisgau Brasilians find themselves struggling to remain competitive in the battle for the top six, while Die Werkself has pressing concerns as they attempt to steer clear of any injuries before their significant Champions League face-off against Arsenal on Wednesday.

Match overview

Freiburg’s aspirations to secure a top-six finish for the fourth time in five years are waning after a series of mixed results.

Julian Schuster’s squad has been inconsistent in recent Bundesliga fixtures, alternating between wins and losses, which has seen them fall 10 points behind sixth-placed Leverkusen.

Last weekend’s visit to Eintracht Frankfurt, a top-six opponent, was particularly tough, as Freiburg faced a disappointing 2-0 defeat with just two shots on target.

However, Freiburg transforms into a formidable force at home, holding an impressive 15-match unbeaten streak at the Europa-Park Stadion across all competitions.

Of those 15 matches, Schuster’s team has secured 12 victories, with their last home defeat occurring back in August against Augsburg.

If Freiburg can keep up their excellent home form, they might still have a chance to break into the top six, though this will heavily rely on improving their poor away performances.

Bayer Leverkusen is gearing up for a challenging March, as their upcoming fixture against Freiburg is followed by two Champions League duels with Arsenal and a major Bundesliga encounter against Bayern Munich.

The most effective way to navigate a busy schedule is to take it one game at a time, and Leverkusen will aspire to execute this strategy during their trip to Freiburg this weekend.

Die Werkself kicked off March positively with a narrow 1-0 win against Hamburg SV on Wednesday evening, which leaves them just three points shy of the top four.

Kasper Hjulmand’s squad is generally in good form, having suffered only one defeat in their last 11 matches across all competitions.

Nevertheless, securing back-to-back away wins in the Bundesliga would significantly boost Die Werkself’s confidence ahead of their colossal home clash with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Freiburg Bundesliga form:

W L W L W L

Freiburg form (all competitions):

L W W L W L

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

W D W L D W

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

W W L D D W

Team News

Freiburg is likely to be without defender Max Rosenfelder, who has been ruled out for the last two matches due to a thigh injury.

Additionally, Lukas Kubler’s participation remains uncertain as he continues his recovery from a hamstring issue, while Philipp Lienhart might need longer to fully recover from his abdominal strain.

Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is gradually regaining his match fitness after being sidelined for three years due to a knee injury.

Bayer Leverkusen faces a significantly longer injury list as they prepare for a packed month in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

Defender Arthur was substituted after just 45 minutes against Mainz last weekend because of an ankle problem.

Fellow defenders Loic Bade and Lucas Vazquez are dealing with thigh and calf injuries, respectively, while goalkeeper Mark Flekken remains absent due to a knee issue.

On the offensive side, Nathan Tella has a foot problem, Eliesse Ben Seghir is dealing with an ankle injury, and striker Patrik Schick is a doubt following a muscle injury.

Freiburg probable starting XI:

Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Ogbus, Gunter; Eggestein, Osterhage; Best, God, Suzuki; Matanovic

Bayer Leverkusen probable starting XI:

Blaswich; Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba; Poku, Fernandez, Garcia, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Maza; Kofane

Freiburg’s overall results indicate inconsistency, but their impressive 15-match unbeaten run at home cannot be overlooked.

With significant fixtures against Arsenal in the Champions League coming up, Bayer Leverkusen’s focus may not be fully on Freiburg.