Key Facts
- Dortmund is under internal pressure following their 2-1 loss at Hoffenheim; Kovac publicly criticized the team’s attitude, and BVB aims to defend its second-place position against Leipzig.
- Freiburg comes off a grueling but successful DFB Cup semifinal (2-1 in extra time) and is in good form: four straight wins and goals scored in each of their last five competitive matches.
- Freiburg sits in 7th place, just one point ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt – a win at Signal Iduna Park would be crucial for their European ambitions.
- Freiburg has failed to win in their last five head-to-head matches; Dortmund has always scored before halftime in those encounters, a trend that could continue despite Dortmund’s current struggles.
- Dortmund is missing several key players (Can, Süle, and Nmecha are injured; Adeyemi is questionable), which creates gaps defensively and offensively—a problem against an offensively strong Freiburg.
- With Guirassy’s return to Freiburg, Dortmund’s personnel shortages, and Freiburg’s consistent goal-scoring threat, the signs clearly point to goals from both sides and a total of more than 2.5 goals.
Niko Kovac is demanding more than 45 good minutes, and that is precisely what makes this Bundesliga clash on Sunday so explosive: Dortmund hosts a Freiburg side that has 120 minutes of DFB-Pokal action fresh in their legs but is coming into the match in strong form. At Signal Iduna Park, BVB will try to defend second place in the table after two league losses, while Freiburg aims to secure its European spot following four wins in its last five games. The first leg in December ended 1-1. Lineup decisions and both coaches’ management of player workload provide additional talking points, with Dortmund’s attack having shown signs of instability recently and Freiburg’s coach needing to weigh whether to rest key players despite the extra minutes played or stick with the winning lineup. Tactically, an intense battle in midfield is expected, where pressing and transition moments are likely to be decisive.
- Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
- Date and time: April 26, 2026, 5:30 PM
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 31)
The market clearly favors Dortmund, but the real value might lie beyond the final result. A level score at halftime has its appeal, as Dortmund has often needed time to get going recently, and Freiburg has controlled the first half well this season.
Dortmund Form & Record Check
Dortmund heads into this match under some internal pressure after Kovac publicly questioned his team’s attitude and concentration. The 2-1 loss at Hoffenheim, following the 1-0 home win against Leverkusen, revealed exactly what he had pointed out: too many lapses in focus during the game, too little control on the ball.
The return of Serhou Guirassy to training helps, but Emre Can, Niklas Süle, and Felix Nmecha remain out, while Karim Adeyemi is also questionable.
Their overall league form is still respectable, however. Before this slump, Dortmund had defeated Stuttgart, Hamburger SV, and FC Augsburg. They’ve won three of their last five Bundesliga matches, and the second half has consistently been stronger than the first. That makes Sunday’s match quite interesting, as the pressure to keep RB Leipzig at bay should force Kovac’s team into a sharper, less comfortable performance.
Dortmund is likely to line up in their usual 3-4-2-1 formation, though this is, of course, only an assessment. A back three of Waldemar Anton (No. 3), Nico Schlotterbeck (No. 4), and Ramy Bensebaini (No. 5) would provide Niko Kovac with a balanced foundation, while Julian Ryerson (No. 26) and Daniel Svensson (No. 24) are expected to provide width on the wings.
Since Emre Can, Niklas Süle, and Felix Nmecha remain sidelined, this lineup appears most likely. Karim Adeyemi’s muscle issue could further limit attacking options. In central midfield, Marcel Sabitzer (No. 20) and Jobe Bellingham (No. 7) would be options, with Carney Chukwuemeka (No. 17) and Julian Brandt (No. 10) behind them to support Serhou Guirassy (No. 9), who has returned to team training after suffering a mild concussion.
Freiburg Form & Record Check
Freiburg arrives after an emotionally and physically draining night: In the DFB-Pokal semifinal, they lost 2-1 to Stuttgart in extra time, despite Maximilian Eggestein putting them ahead after good work from Matthias Ginter. This result ends a strong run but does not signal a collapse. Across all competitions, the Breisgau side had previously won four games in a row, and they have scored in each of their last five matches.
The visitors’ form has recently relied as much on control as on momentum. Bundesliga wins against Mainz and Heidenheim, as well as two Europa League victories against Celta Vigo, show that Julian Schuster prepares his team well for different game situations. The key question is freshness, not conviction, especially since 7th place is valuable but only one point ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt, and Max Rosenfelder and Patrick Osterhage are unavailable.
Freiburg is likely to line up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, though this is only a prediction. Noah Atubolu should start between Matthias Ginter (28) and Philipp Lienhart (3), with Maximilian Eggestein (8) providing cover in midfield. Ahead of them, Vincenzo Grifo (32) and Niklas Beste (19) would be the central playmakers, while Igor Matanovic (31) provides the system with a clear target man.
Questions regarding squad depth are manageable but not irrelevant. Max Rosenfelder is out with a thigh injury, and Patrick Osterhage remains unavailable following his knee surgery. Therefore, this projected lineup relies on Johan Manzambi (44) alongside Maximilian Eggestein (8) in central midfield. Yuito Suzuki (14) could then act as a link behind Igor Matanovic (31), but this should be understood as an informed assessment and not as a confirmed lineup.
Dortmund – Freiburg Head-to-Head & Statistics
The recent head-to-head record between the two teams clearly favors Dortmund. The last meeting in December 2025 ended 1-1 in Freiburg, but Dortmund won all four matches prior to that: 4-1 in 2025, 4-0 and 3-0 in 2024, and 4-2 in 2023. Although Freiburg put an end to their losing streak in the first leg, SC Freiburg has failed to beat Dortmund in any of their last five league matches.
Interestingly, the pattern regarding goals is particularly striking. Dortmund has scored in all five games, finding the net before halftime every time. Furthermore, all matches in the series exceeded the 1.5-goal mark, with four of them even surpassing 2.5. These figures point to early pressure from Dortmund, even if their current form suggests a cautious start this weekend.
