Freiburg vs. St. Pauli preview: Two sides looking to get back to winning ways

Freiburg

Freiburg are looking to get back to winning ways in the Bundesliga after a run of four draws and one loss across their last five, leaving Julian Schuster's side without a win since their 3-0 triumph against Werder Bremen in September.

In Europe, though, Freiburg are flying. After beating Basel on opening night, they have since beaten Utrecht and Nice and picked up a fantastic point away at Bologna. 

Coming from 1-0 down in the south of France on Thursday, goals from Johan Manzambi, Vincenzo Grigo and Denny Scherhant secured a 3-1 win to extend their unbeaten run in the Europa League. 

They are looking to pick up three points back in the league this weekend, against a side that have struggled since the season's early days. 

Team news

Cyriaque Irie and Eren Dinkci remain out until later this month for Freiburg, while Daniel-Kofi Kyereh could return next month.

Predicted lineup - 4-2-3-1: Atubolu - Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo - Manzambi, Eggestein - Beste, Höler, Grifo - Adamu 

St. Pauli

After a sensational start to the campaign, St. Pauli have since struggled, with their most recent of five successive defeats being a heavy 4-0 loss against Borussia Mönchengladbach last time out. 

Pauli have also failed to score since their 2-1 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen at the end of September, showing similarities to last term in the final third, while their poor defensive record is a stark contrast to that of last year.

Throughout the losing run, Alexander Blessin's side were able to progress in the DFB-Pokal via a penalty shootout victory against Hoffenheim. They are aiming to pick up some form this weekend as they make the long trip to Breisgau. 

Team news

On the team news front, David Nemeth, Adam Dzwigala and Ricky-Jade Jones could all return after the upcoming international break.

Predicted lineup - 3-4-1-2: Vasilj - Wahl, Smith, Mets - Saliakas, Sands, Fujita, Oppie - Sinani - Kaars, Lage