SC Freiburg – Union Berlin
The winter break is finally over and the ball is rolling again in the Bundesliga stadiums. Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of their clubs to the pitch and will be cheering their teams on loudly again, whether in the stadium or in front of the TV. Players and coaches have had a few weeks to recover and optimally prepare for the upcoming tasks. Now things are getting serious and the battle for points is back on.
The Saturday conference of the upcoming 17th matchday is full of exciting games. Among them is the match between SC Freiburg and Union Berlin. Freiburg want to keep up with the top clubs and have something to make up to their fans after the unnecessary defeat against Heidenheim in the last game before Christmas. Union Berlin, on the other hand, want to finally get out of the relegation battle and have set their sights high after the winter break. They won their last league game against direct rivals Cologne and were therefore able to enjoy Christmas with a win behind them. Find out who can win this clash in our Freiburg – Union betting tip
Freiburg – Union info
- Date & Time: 13.01.2024, 3:30 pm
- Location: Europa-Park Stadium, Freiburg
- Competition: Bundesliga, 17th matchday
- TV broadcast: Sky
Freiburg Form & Balance Check
Freiburg have played a pretty solid season overall so far. If we look at the overall record of the first 16 games, there are seven wins, three draws and six defeats. This puts the Breisgau side in 8th place in the table, level on points with Frankfurt, who currently hold the final international qualification spot. Coach Christian Streich’s team are therefore within striking distance of the top clubs, but are in a duel with several other teams for the international places.
Last weekend, Freiburg played a test match against league rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. They won the game 5:2 and the SC scorers were Merlin Röhl, Michael Gregoritsch, Vincento Grifo and Roland Sallai, who scored twice
Not yet strong enough against the strong
Freiburg’s six defeats are certainly a thorn in Christian Streich’s side, with the exception of the defeat on the last matchday, they all came against the league’s top clubs. Freiburg’s opponents are Leverkusen, Bayern, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Dortmund, the top five teams in the current table.
Freiburg also failed to win against Eintracht, who are in sixth place. As a result, the team has stumbled against the strong clubs and has not yet managed to snatch points from the teams ahead of them. However, if SC want to make it into international business next season, they should be able to hold their own against a stronger team on one or two occasions
Freiburg facts & analysis
- SC Freiburg have not lost any of their last 5 home games.
- SC Freiburg’s current performance in the Bundesliga is better than that of Union Berlin.
- When SC Freiburg is 0-1 down in home matches, they win 16% of them.
Union Form & Balance Check
The conclusion of the season so far from the Union’s point of view is of course sobering. After adding a number of prominent names to the squad in the summer, expectations were high for the Champions League participants. Perhaps too high, as Union made a disastrous start to the season and have been in a relegation battle from the outset.
After the change of coach in November, however, the team seems to have stabilized somewhat and, in addition to a defeat against Bochum, was able to secure victories against Gladbach and Cologne before the winter break. As a result, coach Nenad Bjelica’s team are in 16th place, three points ahead of the relegation places. Union also successfully played their preparation match against Arminia Bielefeld last weekend and won 2:0.
Bonucci’s exit sealed
One of the big summer signings, European champion Leonardi Bonucci, will leave Union after just six months. The European Championship final goalscorer was unable to earn a regular place with the Köpenickers and only made ten competitive appearances. Naturally, this did not suit Bonucci, as his big goal is to play in the European Championship at the end of his career.
Without playing time, however, it could be difficult for him to be nominated for the national team, which is why he forced his transfer. During the week, he underwent a medical check with Fenerbahçe Istanbul, where he is expected to sign a new contract
Union facts & analysis
- Did you know that Union Berlin score 24% of their goals between the 0-15 minute?
- Today we want goals: Union Berlin have failed to score in 4 of their 7 away games in the Bundesliga this season.
- Union Berlin have not won any of their last 10 away games.
Predicted line-up – last update on January 11, 2024
We expect SC Freiburg to play in a 4-4-2 formation. Coach Streich will rely on Grifo, Sallai and Gregoritsch, who all scored in the last pre-season game, in attack. Compared to the last competitive match, Jordy Makengo is back at left-back in the defensive line.
We don’t expect many changes at Union compared to their last win in the Bundesliga. Kevin Volland and Kevin Behrens have established themselves up front. In central midfield, Alex Král could get his chance again and be in the starting eleven
Freiburg – Union Berlin head-to-head & stats
The two clubs have already faced each other 14 times. Five games went to Freiburg, six games to Union and three matches ended in draws. Eight of these encounters took place in the German top flight. The last encounter, a 4-2 win for Berlin on matchday 32 of the previous season, put Union on course for their first Champions League appearance in the club’s history. The last three games between the two have all been high-scoring affairs, with at least five goals scored each time
- In the last 15 matches, SC Freiburg have come out on top 5 times. 3 games ended in a draw, Union Berlin won 7 times. SC Freiburg have a goal difference of 25-25.
- SC Freiburg: Nicolas Hofler has collected the most yellow cards (5). For Union Berlin it is Robin Gosens (4).
- SC Freiburg win the first half in 33% of their games, Union Berlin in 26% of their games
- On average SC Freiburg scores 1.4 goals against Union Berlin and Union Berlin scores 2 goals against SC Freiburg.
- SC Freiburg scores an average of 2 goals when playing at home and Union Berlin scores an average of 1.07 goals when playing away (on average).
