Freiburg vs Union Berlin – News and Probable Lineups

On Sunday, Union Berlin will look to increase the gap between themselves and the Bundesliga relegation zone as they travel to Europa-Park Stadion to face Freiburg.

Die Breisgau-Brasilianer are in pursuit of their first win in four matches this weekend, while Die Eisernen are eager to recover from a heavy defeat in their last outing.

Match overview

Julian Schuster led Freiburg to Europa League qualification in 2024-25 with a fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga, but after a rocky start to 2026, they appear to be out of contention this season.

Prior to Die Breisgau-Brasilianer’s 1-0 loss to Genk in continental competition on Thursday, they were held to a disappointing 3-3 draw by Bayer Leverkusen last Saturday, especially after having taken the lead twice during that match.

Failing to secure those two points meant Schuster’s squad missed the opportunity to move up to seventh in the standings, leaving them in eighth place with 34 points, now ten points adrift of the sixth-placed Werkself.

While their hopes of finishing in the top six seem almost extinguished with nine matches remaining, Freiburg will still aim to perform strongly to capitalize if their rivals falter in the final stretch.

With that in mind, supporters heading to the match will likely feel reassured by their team’s strong home form at Europa-Park Stadion, where they remain unbeaten in all competitions since the 3-1 defeat on opening day against Augsburg.

Adding to this confidence is that Die Breisgau-Brasilianer have emerged victorious in five of their six most recent home games, with only one draw since the beginning of the year, which included a 2-1 win over Hamburgo SV.

On the other hand, Steffen Baumgart’s team ended 2025 on a high note with successive wins — 3-1 against RB Leipzig and 1-0 against FC Koln — but a disappointing start in 2026 has seen them closely monitoring the relegation battlegrounds.

Their earlier success was followed by a frustrating streak of seven matches without a win, which included three losses. Although a 1-0 victory over Leverkusen on February 21 offered some hope, Die Eisernen approach this fixture on the back of two consecutive defeats.

Most recently, they held a one-goal advantage over Werder Bremen only to capitulate, losing 4-1 to the Green and Whites, who turned the game around after capitalizing on Andras Schafer’s red card.

Although Union are not in immediate jeopardy of relegation, they currently sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga, with 28 points, only four points above the 16th-placed St Pauli.

Sunday’s travelers will be eager to steer clear of any concern regarding top-flight survival, but given they have lost three away matches in a row leading up to this weekend and have yet to secure a win on the road in 2026, Die Eisernen might be content with a point.

Team News

Freiburg have a largely fit squad for this fixture, although center-back Max Rosenfelder is still out due to a hamstring injury sustained against Hoffenheim on Valentine’s Day.

In his absence, Matthias Ginter and Bruno Ifechukwu Ogbus are anticipated to take their places in the heart of Schuster’s defense, with Philipp Treu and Christian Gunter present at full-back.

On another note, attacking midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh returned to training late last month, but this match is likely to arrive too early for the Gana star, so Yuito Suzuki is expected to be positioned behind striker Igor Matanovic on Sunday.

For Union, they are coping without several defenders, including Diogo Leite and Tom Rothe, both suffering from thigh and muscle injuries, respectively, along with center-back Leopold Querfeld, who is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Werder.

To cover these absences this weekend, Baumgart may opt for a back three comprising Danilho Doekhi, Alex Kral, and Stanley Nsoki, while Christopher Trimmel and Derrick Kohn are set to play as wing-backs in place of sidelined Robert Skov, who is dealing with a calf injury.

In midfield, Andras Schafer’s red card against Werder means he will be unavailable for Sunday’s clash, although Rani Khedira and Aljoscha Kemlein are expected to line up in the midfield positions.

Freiburg probable starting XI:

Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter; Eggestein, Osterhage; Irie, Suzuki, Grifo; Matanovic

Union Berlin probable starting XI:

Ronnow; Doekhi, Kral, Nsoki; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Jeong, Ansah; Ilic

Although Freiburg may be experiencing a dip in form at present, their impressive home record indicates they are likely to overcome their struggling rivals this weekend.

Conversely, Union may recognize the threat of those trailing them and could very well put up a strong contest on Sunday as a result.