“We need a good mix”

VfB coach Bruno Labbadia had two absentees to report ahead of the trip to Freiburg, with strikers Serhou Guirassy (adductor tear) and Tiago Tomas (abdominal muscle strain) sidelined.

Labbadia and his team will stick to their playing philosophy against their sixth-placed hosts. “As ever, we won’t just defend,” said the VfB boss. “That’s not our approach. We want to attack and put the opponents under pressure. We need a good mix in our game against Freiburg. They have a certain calmness to their play.” As well as a solid defence, that mix includes being purposeful and accurate at the other end. “It’s about not conceding goals from the few chances we give away, while capitalising on our goalscoring opportunities,” continued Labbadia. “One of the main themes in training this week has been getting shots away.”

The willingness is there and everyone is pulling in the same direction, according to the head coach. “Particularly in a relegation battle, when the boys can be down like they were after the match against Bremen, it’s not about sugarcoating but about picking them up again and addressing mistakes directly,” he said. “A relegation battle is like a marathon.”