RB Leipzig are certain to finish 3rd on the table and don’t have anything to play for when they hit the road to face SC Freiburg at the Europa-Park-Stadion. But there is a lot at stake for the home team, who would want to ensure they secure European football for next season.
Freiburg are 7th on the table with 44 points in their 33 outings. Having failed to win any of their last three games, they are only a point above Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg. Both clubs will push hard for the Conference League spot on the final matchday; as a result, Freiburg can’t afford to drop points here.
While they can secure Champions League football by winning the Europa League, the home team would still want to secure European football heading into the final against Aston Villa. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 3-2 defeat at the hands of Hamburg, and will have to do much better to stand a chance against Leipzig.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 3rd with 65 points in their 33 outings. Leipzig have already secured Champions League football for next season, and they are four points clear of fourth-placed VfB Stuttgart. While they have nothing at stake, they would still want to finish the season on a high note with a win.
After a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen, Leipzig returned to winning ways against St. Pauli last time out. Now, they would want to secure all three points in the final game of the season.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will be without the services of Yuito Suzuki (collarbone fracture), Max Rosenfelder (hamstring), Patrick Osterhage (knee) and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (unspecified) because of injury.
Freiburg will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in this all-important fixture, with Noah Atubolu starting in goal. Lukas Kubler and Philipp Treu will be the full-backs, while Matthias Ginter will partner with Bruno Ogbus in the heart of the defence.
Maximilian Eggestein and Johan Manzambi will form the double pivot. The duo will look to shield the backline and ensure they control the tempo of the game.
In the final third, Niklas Beste and Vincenzo Grifo will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks, while Lucas Holer will take up the number ten role behind Igor Matanovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Atubolu; Kubler, Ginter, Ogbus, Treu; Eggestein, Manzambi; Beste, Holer, Grifo; Matanovic
RB Leipzig remain without the services of Ayodele Thomas (muscle), Leopold Zingerle (wrist), Ezechiel Banzuzi (knee), and Viggo Gebel (knee).
While there is nothing at stake, Ole Werner could still start with the majority of his regulars. He will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Maarten Vandevoordt will take charge in goal.
David Raum and Riddle Baku are expected to be the full-backs, while Willi Orban could start alongside Castello Lukeba in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, 20-year-old Assan Ouedraogo is likely to start alongside Xaver Schlager and Christoph Baumgartner. They are unlikely to have too much of posessions as Freiburg are expected to go all out for the win.
Yan Diomande and Brajan Gruda will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Romulo is expected to be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vandevoort; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Schlager, Ouedraogo, Baumgartner; Gruda, Romulo, Diomande
Diomande stands out as the player to watch out for, thanks to his explosive debut campaign, where the 19-year-old Ivorian winger has dazzled with 13 goals and 9 assists across 35 games. Attracting interest from top clubs, the teenager brings qualities that could punish Freiburg’s leaky defence, which hasn’t kept a clean sheet in eight matches.
After going goalless in his last two outings, he’ll be hungry to exploit the home side’s desperate push forward, providing width on the flank while linking lethally with Romulo up top, potentially deciding the game with a goal or assist in Leipzig’s counter-attacking threat.
Despite Freiburg’s urgent need for points to lock in their Conference League spot, their winless run and historical struggles against Leipzig (failing to win any of the last 14 meetings) could prove costly.
Leipzig’s solid away form at Europa-Park-Stadion (unbeaten in five visits) and recent league dominance (seven wins in nine) give them the edge on the break. The visitor’s attacking flair should unlock Freiburg’s backline, helping them snatch a narrow victory even without much at stake.
The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
