Germany: Bundesliga
FT
3 - 2
(1 - 0)
Freiburg
Hoffenheim
L. Höler (37), V. Grifo (55), M. Gulde (82), R. Sallai (85)
W. Weghorst (57), M. Beier (77)
By Jonathan Dicks@Jonathan_Dicks

SC Freiburg vs. Hoffenheim preview: A Baden-Württemberg derby

Hoffenheim make the short trip to the Europa-Park Stadion on Matchday 18, hoping to end a lackluster run of form.
Cristiano Ronaldo at the treble - Star forward sizzles on his return to Portugal with a sublime hat-trick for Al Nassr against Rio Ave in friendly
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 2:20
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 2:20
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected

    SC Freiburg


    After a disappointing home draw to Union last week, Freiburg are back at home again this weekend. Fans are still hoping at least one transfer will come through the doors this winter, as Paderborn midfielder Florent Muslija continues to be linked.

    Manuel Gulde should continue in center defense alongside Matthias Ginter on Matchday 18, but Freiburg’s thin defense is a growing concern as they only seem to have two fit first-team center-backs. Saturday will be a milestone for Vincenzo Grifo, who will play his 250th competitive game for the club.

    When asked about Grifo, Christian Streich commented, "Many games from a very good player and person, who fully identifies and sees himself as part of the club. He became a national player here and has achieved a lot which is important to him. Not many would have believed it."
    Team News

    Philipp Lienhart is undergoing groin surgery and out for the foreseeable future. Christian Günter is likely still a couple weeks away from game time, while Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Kenneth Schmidt and Ritsu Doan remain unavailable. In other news, Gulde signed a contract extension with the club on Friday.

    Hoffenheim


    After a decent start to the campaign, Hoffenheim have lost three of their last four matches and now sit just behind Freiburg in 8th place. Pellegrino Matarazzo put out an interesting 3-1-4-2 formation against Bayern last week, but his side failed to capitalize on their chances.

    The trainer hinted that Florian Grillitsch could continue in a starting center-back role on Saturday ahead of the likes of Attila Szalai, who looks to have fallen out of favor. Now’s the time for Hoffenheim to start rekindling some momentum, as they face a very winnable schedule following this weekend.

    In his presser, Matarazzo said, "Freiburg have built success over several years. They play complete football. Lots of variation with lots of mobility in their build-up play. They are also not conceding many goals which makes them difficult to work out."
    Team News

    Grischa Prömel is suspended and Dennis Geiger is still unavailable. Marco John and Mergim Berisha are out with long-term injuries, while Matarazzo mentioned that Bambase Conte is close to returning.

    Bundesliga news

    Table

    Bundesliga

    Regular Season

    #TeamP
    1 Leverkusen0
    2 Dortmund0
    3 Gladbach0
    4 Frankfurt0
    5 Augsburg0
    6 FC Bayern0
    7 FC Köln0
    8 Union Berlin0
    9 Mainz 050
    10 HSV0
    11 Heidenheim0
    12 RB Leipzig0
    13 Freiburg0
    14 St. Pauli0
    15 Hoffenheim0
    16 Stuttgart0
    17 Wolfsburg0
    18 Bremen0
    View full table
    Kickfieber

    Match days

    2. Bundesliga 25/26 season previews

    Bundesliga End of Season Awards

    German Teams in Europe

    DFB-Pokal

    German National Team

    Long reads

    Exclusive interviews

    Team News