Freiburg vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League preview: Team news and predicted lineups

Freiburg go into the penultimate fixture of the first stage of the Europa League knowing that they can book an automatic spot in the round of 16, should results go their way on Thursday evening. 

Die Breisgauer picked up a 1-0 win against RB Salzburg last time out in Europe, leaving them fifth, just a point behind table-toppers Lyon. 

With a difficult trip to Lille coming next week, Julian Schuster's side will want to have their place booked this week, ideally, rather than leaving their fate in the balance in France. 

Freiburg sit eighth in the Bundesliga after their recent draw with Augsburg. After goals from Alexis Claude Maurice and Elvis Rexhbecaj in the 47th and 49th minutes sent Die Fuggerstädter into a two-goal lead, Freiburg responded with a quickfire double of their own. 

Just minutes after Yuito Suzuki halved the deficit, Igor Matanovic provided the equaliser to ensure that Freiburg didn't fall to successive defeats in the league. 

Thursday's trip to Freiburg is Maccabi Tel Aviv's second successive Baden-Württemberg visit in the Europa League, having been beaten 4-1 by Stuttgart in December. 

The visitors will be eliminated from the competition should they fail to win, making Thursday's clash hugely important. 

Team news

Both Phillip Lienhart and long-term absentee Daniel-Kofi Kyereh are expected to return to Schuster's squad in February, but it is otherwise business as usual for Freiburg. 

Ion Nicolaescu is the only absentee for the visitors. 

Predicted lineups

Freiburg - 4-2-3-1: Atubolu, Treu, Ginter, Rosenfelder, Makengo - Eggestein, Osterhage - Beste, Manzambi, Grifo - Matanovic

Maccabi Tel Aviv - 4-5-1: Melika - Asante, Ben Hamo, Camara, Ben Harush - Davida, Andrade, Sissokho, Shahar, Varela - Madmon