The performances were largely good, but the bottom line is three defeats in a row for the so furiously started SC Freiburg For Sunday’s game in Mönchengladbach, Christian Streich could make changes in these areas in particular.
Once again this week, the fundamental system question is being discussed intensively in the Freiburg coaching office: 4-4-2 or 3-4-3? For the majority of this season, SC have relied on a three-man back line, so the basic formation was a major reason for the club’s record start of 22 points after ten games.
Three more games later, the Breisgau side still has 22 points and had also relied on the tried and tested 3-4-3 at the start of the defeats in Munich (1:2) and against Frankfurt (0:2). In the second half against Eintracht, the change to 4-4-2 brought a lot of momentum and some goal chances. The retention of the four-man system in Bochum was logical and once again led to dominance and nine good chances to score, but in the end the team suffered another unfortunate defeat (1:2).
Despite the fundamentally appealing team performance, there were some below-average individual performances – Streich could also make changes in these areas for other reasons:
Internal defence: The line-up depends above all on the system question. Basically, Nico Schlotterbeck and Philipp Lienhart have the edge. In the three-man backline, the clever defender Manuel Gulde has always been added so far. Alternatively, Keven Schlotterbeck could soon get his first chance to start in the league, and he would then presumably be positioned between Lienhart and his brother as a centre-half.
Double six: It’s been a long time since Nicolas Höfler made a momentous mistake before conceding a goal in the 1-1 draw in Bochum, but the strategist is still in place. Summer newcomer Maximilian Eggestein has integrated well for the most part, but did not have enough of an impact on the game against Frankfurt and in Bochum. The first option is U-21 international Yannik Keitel, who lost his regular place to Eggestein at the beginning of the season, mainly due to a short injury break.
Offensive: After two recent wildcard appearances, the dynamic Roland Sallai should once again be a fully-fledged starting eleven option. First strike candidate for him: Woo-Yeong Jeong, who has clearly lacked determination and effectiveness in recent games. Kevin Schade, despite his good scenes as a starting player in Bochum, could be even more effective as a wild card thanks to his enormous pace, if there are possibly more spaces in the switching game towards the end of the game.
Sallai could therefore also start on the right wing for Schade in a 4-4-2, leaving two options in the centre: Jeong retains his place as a suspended front man after all, or Ermedin Demirovic provides a more physical presence alongside Lucas Höler. It would be particularly pleasing for Streich if, after a complete week of training, he could once again rely on Nils Petersen, who has been sorely missed for several weeks due to knee problems, as a joker.