Ritsu Doan returns to the Europa-Park Stadium for the first time as a Frankfurt player, where he will be given a send-off before kick-off. On Sunday at 3:30 p.m., SC Freiburg welcomes its former winger and Eintracht to a duel between two mid-table neighbors in the Bundesliga. With only one point separating them — Freiburg in 9th place with 8 points, Frankfurt one place ahead — the match promises to be a close affair. The form of the two teams could hardly be more different. While Freiburg recently brought home a scoreless draw from Gladbach and has yet to fully convince at home in the second half of the season, Frankfurt is struggling with massive defensive problems. After the 0-3 defeat against Bayern, they have conceded 16 goals in six games, more than ever before at this point in the season. Offensively, however, Eintracht shines with a strong 17 goals. In terms of personnel, Freiburg will only be without Irié, who is still recovering from malaria. Frankfurt will be without Collins, who has a viral infection, and Baum, who has a thigh injury, while Kristensen could be an option after returning to training. The duel between Doan and his successor on the right wing for Freiburg, Niklas Beste, will be particularly explosive. Recent history favors Frankfurt, who won both league games last season, including a 3-1 victory in the season finale, and remain unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga encounters. Nevertheless, the betting market rates the game only slightly in favor of the hosts, reflecting Eintracht’s current form crisis. The decisive factors will be whether Freiburg can stabilize their defense to stop Frankfurt’s strong offense and whether the visitors can finally find defensive balance again.
- Venue: Europa-Park Stadium, Freiburg
- Date and time: October 19, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 7)
The combination of Freiburg’s defensive stability at home, where they are unbeaten in five games, and Frankfurt’s vulnerability at the back, having conceded 16 goals in six Bundesliga games, clearly points to goals at both ends. Both teams to score: Frankfurt has scored in each of its last five games and conceded in all of them as well. Freiburg has scored in about 80% of its recent games and has Niklas Beste back in form on the right wing. The probability of this happening is high with moderate risk. Over 2.5 goals: At least three goals have been scored in all of Frankfurt’s last five games. Eintracht averages well over 2.5 goals per game, combining their own goals and goals conceded. The absence of defensive players Collins and Baum at Frankfurt further increases the goal threat. A home win for Freiburg offers value but is riskier: Freiburg is strong at home with a stable defense, while Frankfurt has gone five games without a win, losing three of them. The emotional factor of the special jersey for the 50th anniversary of women’s soccer and Doan’s farewell could provide additional motivation. The primary recommendations remain “both teams to score” and “over 2.5 goals” with a higher probability of occurrence. A Freiburg win should only be played as an additional bet or with a reduced stake.
Freiburg form & record check
Freiburg are in decent form with two wins and three draws from their last five competitive games. Julian Schuster’s team remained unbeaten, but often looked too harmless in attack, as illustrated by the goalless draw in Gladbach. Defensively, the team is relatively stable. In four of five first halves, Freiburg conceded no more than one goal, and the team has not lost at halftime or after 90 minutes in recent weeks. This defensive stability provides a solid foundation for upcoming tasks. The last truly convincing performance dates back to the 3-0 away win in Bremen at the end of September. This was followed by draws against Hoffenheim, Bologna in the Europa League, and Gladbach. Schuster nevertheless emphasizes progress, especially in comparison with higher-ranked opponents, such as in the 1-1 draw against Leverkusen. With eight points in ninth place, Freiburg is level on points with Hamburger SV and only one point behind Eintracht Frankfurt, which illustrates how close the mid-table situation is. Noah Atubolu is currently providing stability in goal after recovering from a knee injury. The challenge remains to build on the defensive stability and improve the quality of the offense and the conversion of chances. Freiburg needs to be more successful again, especially against compact opponents, and find a better balance between European commitments and everyday Bundesliga life.
Formation: 4-2-3-1. Goal: Noah Atubolu is fit after a knee injury and will be in goal. Defense: Back four of Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Günter. Defensive midfield: Eggestein and Osterhage as double sixes for stability. Offensive trio: Niklas Beste on the right, Grifo on the left, Höler centrally behind the striker. Striker: Adamu as the lone striker. Absentees: Cyriaque Irié is still out, recovering from malaria and completing individual training.
Frankfurt form & record check
SGE has shown two sides this season: very productive in attack with 17 goals in six Bundesliga games, but alarmingly vulnerable at the back with 16 goals conceded, which is a negative record at this stage. In the last five games, Frankfurt has conceded at least one goal in each match and has not been without conceding a goal at half-time in any of them. The 3-0 defeat to Bayern, where Luis Díaz scored early and netted three times in total, and the 5-1 defeat in Madrid against Atlético are impressive examples of their defensive problems. Even in the 6-4 win in Gladbach, the team showed little defensive organization, although they took advantage of many chances in attack. The 5-1 win against Galatasaray does not hide their vulnerability, as they conceded at least one goal early in all five previous games. Injuries to Rasmus Kristensen and Elias Baum, as well as a viral illness affecting Nnamdi Collins, are exacerbating the situation at right-back. Aurelio Buta delivered a weak performance against Bayern, so there is an urgent need for more stable solutions there. Sporting director Timmo Hardung cites simple ball losses in midfield and individual errors as the main problems that open up space for opponents. The return of Mario Götze after months on the sidelines could bring more stability and ball control to the midfield, but so far he has only played 77 minutes this season. Ahead of the game against Freiburg, a defensively focused lineup seems advisable in order to break the negative streak. Frankfurt must prioritize defensive compactness, play out periods of possession in a more structured manner, and give clear instructions to the right side of the defense, while Götze should gradually be given more minutes.
Coach Dino Toppmöller is likely to field his usual 4-2-3-1 system, but faces several personnel questions. Collins is still out with a persistent viral infection, and Baum is unable to play due to a thigh injury. The defense is currently a cause for concern, having conceded 16 goals in six Bundesliga games. Santos could get a chance in goal. The back four is likely to consist of Kristensen, Koch, Theate, and Brown. Kristensen is back in training after injury and could play at right-back. Skhiri and Larsson are considered sure starters in defensive midfield, although both have been below their previous year’s form so far. Doan and Bahoya are likely to play on the offensive wings, with Uzun playing behind striker Burkardt. Mario Götze is back in full training after months out with injury, but it remains to be seen whether he will get more than a brief appearance off the bench. An emotional reunion with former striker Ekitiké is expected, but the currently shaky defense could once again be the deciding factor.
Freiburg – Frankfurt Head-to-head & statistics
There were five encounters between September 2023 and May 2025: Frankfurt won two competitive games, 1-4 in January 2025 and 1-3 in May 2024. Freiburg won once, but only a friendly in January 2024 away from home with a score of 5-2. The remaining competitive matches ended 3-3 in February 2024 at the Europa-Park Stadium and 0-0 in September 2023 in Frankfurt. In four of the five matches, at least four goals were scored, with only one game remaining goalless. In 80% of the encounters, both teams had already scored by halftime. Interestingly, four out of five games were tied at halftime, with the decision usually coming in the second half, often in favor of Eintracht. Both teams seem to feel each other out at first; many first halves end evenly, and the decision is often sought in the final stages. The record of competitive games during this period clearly favors Frankfurt, while Freiburg’s only victory was a clear win in a test match.
