SC Freiburg successfully conclude a strong first half of the season and spend the winter in third place in the table. In the 2:1 win against Leverkusen, coach Christian Streich proved to have a golden touch and was not only happy about the victory, but also about a new record.
While Freiburg coach Christian Streich had relied on a three-man backline in the 0-0 draw with Union Berlin, he relied on a four-man line against Leverkusen, leaving Keven Schlotterbeck and Eggestein on the bench. Haberer and Sallai were new to the team.
The Werkself had some personnel changes after the 2:2 against Hoffenheim. Coach Gerardo Seoane had to do without Diaby (yellow-red suspension), Hincapie (slight muscle injury) and Bellarabi (COVID contact in private life) and also ordered Tapsoba and Palacios to the bench. Newcomers: Frimpong, Sinkgraven, Andrich, Aranguiz and Adli.
Freiburg’s brisk start
In the event of a defeat, Freiburg were threatened with setting the club’s negative record of three Bundesliga home defeats in a row. That had to be prevented. The Sport-Club started wildly and immediately put the visitors in a real spot of bother: Hradecky had to call on his skills against both Schlotterbeck (1st) and Höler (3rd) to prevent the early deficit.
As fast-paced as the first three minutes were, the level dropped quickly. Bayer brought in more stability and shifted the action away from their own box, but could not create any offensive impulses worth mentioning. Schick’s header, which flew over after a corner (18th), was the only noteworthy goal for the visitors for a long time.
Grifo cheeky and Tah’s great assist
The Breisgau side, however, made the better impression. SC was present, played forward quickly and had the next chance through Günter (25th). Then Frimpong was extremely unlucky when he stopped Jeong’s attempt in his own penalty area with an outstretched arm. Grifo converted the penalty kick with a particularly cheeky lob (32nd).
Leverkusen increased the pace, invested more and had a clear advantage on the field, but the passing was too hectic and too full of mistakes, so that there was no real danger – but that changed in injury time: First, Höfler saved a dangerous Adli pass for a corner, where the ball slipped through to Tah. Tah then slipped the ball through to Tah, who then artistically back-heeled the ball in for Aranguiz, who headed home from three metres to make it 1-1 at the break (45.+2).
Apparently inspired by the equaliser, Bayer played more purposefully after the restart and from then on appeared more and more in Freiburg’s half, but without becoming really dangerous. Adli’s too central and too weak 16-metre shot was the highest of the feelings (58.).
Streich proves to have a golden touch
In the meantime, not much was going right for SC, defensively it was still good, but the offensive play had almost come to a complete standstill. Streich’s dissatisfaction was written all over his face, and Grifo’s impressive but ultimately inaccurate shot from distance (66th) didn’t really change that.
All in all, the second half went on without any highlights. It seemed that the opponents had agreed on a draw. But it did not come to that, because Streich proved to have a golden hand. Demirovic, who had been substituted, was not put under pressure on the right wing and was allowed to cross inside to Schade, who had also been substituted earlier. Andrich let him go and he then also benefited from Hradecky not coming out consistently and misjudging – 2-1 winner (84th).
Freiburg thus ended the first half of the season with 16 goals conceded, surpassing their own first-half record of 18 goals conceded from the 2012/13 season. After the short winter break, SC’s next match is against Bielefeld (3.30 pm) on Saturday, 8 January. Leverkusen will host Union Berlin at the same time.
