SC Freiburg

Both sides were forced to make changes to their starting line-ups due to illness. Jordy Makengo missed out at SC, with Lukas Kübler replacing him at left-back. Roland Sallai also started in place of Vincenzo Grifo. Heidenheim head coach Frank Schmidt was without set-piece specialist Jan-Niklas Beste, with Adrian Beck coming into the side to deputise for FCH’s top goalscorer.

Since then, a lot has changed for both clubs, but the same head coaches are still in charge. Christian Streich touched on Frank Schmidt and his Heidenheim team: “They’re very strong at home and they are particularly good from dead-ball situations, perhaps even the best in the league.” Ideally, the SC head coach wants his side to avoid giving away any free-kicks.

SCF are set to face RC Lens, one of four French clubs taking part in the play-off round in the Europa League. Lens are currently seventh in Ligue 1 and qualified for the Champions League last season after finishing in second position. Under Franck Haise, who has been coaching the side since 2020, Lens finished third with eight points from six games in a group with Arsenal, PSV and Sevilla FC.

The 29-year-old was directly involved in SC’s first big chance of the game, after winning possession and playing the ball through to Ritsu Doan in the penalty area, who pulled the trigger with his left foot, but his effort was blocked (4’). The visitors, who are currently 16th in the Bundesliga table, started all guns blazing, and put the Freiburg backline under immediate pressure. As silence filled the Europa-Park Stadion, you were able to clearly hear head coach Christian Streich tell his team after ten minutes had passed that they were playing “too deep”. Just before the end of the silent protest, Merlin Röhl’s attempt from 16 metres out, which flew just wide of the Köln goal, was praised with only a round of applause (11’). At the 12-minute mark, spectators started throwing chocolate coins onto the pitch and shouting abusive chants at the DFL, which caused the match to be stopped for a number of minutes so that all the coins could be removed from the pitch.

Gregoritsch and his teammates can once again expect to be playing in front of a lively home crowd in Sunday’s contest against Köln. Last season, Freiburg did the double over the side from Cologne, with Gregoritsch scoring in SCF’s 2-0 win at the Europa-Park Stadion. The overall head-to-head record is also in favour of Sport-Club, having won 21 out of 44 games in all competitions (D8, L15).

The London Stadium will be the stage for the contest between SC and West Ham, who are both on twelve points and cannot be caught by the other sides in Group A. Given that West Ham won the match between the two sides back in October, Freiburg need to win to go through to the last 16 as group winners, as head-to-head record is more important than goal difference in UEFA competitions.  

Two changes each

SCF only managed four attempts on goal in 95 minutes’ play at the Volkswagen Arena. They were able to emerge victors thanks to a Roland Sallai cross which was then flicked on by Matthias Ginter, Merlin Röhl and Kilian Sildillia, eventually finding Michael Gregoritsch, who volleyed home. 

The last game between the two sides ended in a 2-0 win for Freiburg thanks to...

Christian Streich and his coaching staff elected to make two changes to the starting line-up following the 5-0 home win against Olympiacos in mid-week. Noah Weißhaupt started on the left of midfield in place of Vincenzo Grifo and Merlin Röhl replaced Lucas Höler to partner with Gregoritsch in attack.