Bundesliga side Freiburg are set to host second-division side Hamburger SV on Wednesday in the second round of the DFB-Pokal at Europa-Park Stadion.
The hosts beat Osnabruck 4-0 in the first round of the competition in August and are fifth in the top flight with 15 points after eight matchweeks, while the away side are fifth in the 2. Bundesliga with 18 points from 10 games and are just two points from first-placed Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Match preview
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Though Julian Schuster's Freiburg were deserving winners against Osnabruck, they were fortunate to have not conceded at least once against the third-tier team considering they faced more than 1.5 xG.
Schuster's side were eliminated by lower-league opposition in the second round of last season's DFB-Pokal when they lost against SC Paderborn in November 2023, a side that failed to earn promotion from the 2. Bundesliga after finishing seventh.
Breisgau-Brasilianer lost 3-1 in their last outing against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday, a match in which Die Roten Bullen trailed after 15 minutes but claimed all three points thanks to three second-half goals.
However, Freiburg have only lost three times in their nine games this term, winning the other six while scoring 17 goals and conceding nine times.
Having said that, Breisgau-Brasilianer have won two and lost two of their four most recent matches, including a disappointing 3-0 defeat against newly-promoted St Pauli in late September.
The hosts have also won three and lost one of their last four home fixtures, though they lost two and drew two of their prior four matches at Europa-Park Stadion.
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Meanwhile, the visitors ran riot against Meppen in the first round of the DFB-Pokal in August, winning 7-1 and scoring five second-half goals.
Hamburger were relegated from the Bundesliga at the end of the 2017-18 campaign and have finished fourth four times and third once in the six subsequent seasons in the second tier, failing to secure one of the division's two automatic promotion spots since their relegation.
Manager Steffen Baumgart has been in charge since February 2024, and his team have scored 24 goals and conceded 13 times this season in the league, records which make his side the best offensive and fourth-best defensive club in the 2. Bundesliga.
Baumgart's side were beaten 4-2 last time out against Elversberg in the league on Saturday and have won two, drawn two and lost one of their five most recent matches.
The visitors have lost two, drawn one and won one of their last four away games, conceding seven times and scoring seven goals.
Team News
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Midfielders Daniel-Kofi Kyereh and Merlin Rohl will not be available for selection for Freiburg, and in their absence, Ritsu Doan, Maximilian Eggestein, Patrick Osterhage and Vincenzo Grifo could start as a midfield four.
Freiburg will be without centre-backs Kenneth Schmidt and Manuel Gulde, so Maximilian Rosenfelder and Philipp Lienhart may start in the backline.
In the forward line, Lucas Holer stated against Osnabruck, and he could be partnered by Chukwubuike Adamu.
As for Hamburger, they will be unable to select centre-back Dennis Hadzikadunic and right-back Silvan Hefti, though both are expected to return in early and late November respectively.
Striker Robert Glatzel is ruled out as a result of a tendon injury and is not scheduled to return until February 2025, so perhaps Ransford Yeboah Konigsdorffer, Davie Selke and Jean-Luc Dompe will start in attack on Wednesday.
Lucas Perrin, Daniel Elfadli and Jonas Meffert may be fielded as centre-backs behind a double pivot of Marco Richter and Ludovit Reis.
Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Muller; Ogbus, Rosenfelder, Lienhart, Gunter; Doan, Eggestein, Osterhage, Grifo; Holer, Adamu
Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:
Fernandes; Perrin, Elfadli, Meffert; Balde, Richter, Reis, Muheim; Konigsdorffer, Selke, Dompe
We say: Freiburg 2-1 Hamburger SV
Though Hamburger were rampant in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, it is difficult to see how they can overcome their higher-tier opponents.
However, the hosts have been in mixed form of late, and it would not be surprising if their clash against the 2. Bundesliga side was a close affair.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
