Last two clashes of the German Bundesliga week 1 will take place on Sunday and here we shall check out the showdown that will take place in Freiburg at Dreisamstadion between hosts and Eintracht Frankfurt. Both teams had a reasonably successful last season, especially SC Freiburg who managed to earn the UEFA Europa League berth after finishing ranked seventh in the league table. On the other side, Frankfurt team had a chance to do the same but they failed as they lost the final game of DFB Pokal (German Cup) to Borussia Dortmund.
To be fair, both team’s fans and boards would probably be satisfied if they could get the same opportunities when it comes to the European competitions berth they did last season but I’m not convinced that it will happen as both teams acted a bit shy during the offseason when it comes to roster strengthening. The matchup between these two squads should provide us with an answer of who might have a more successful year, but our job is to predict certain outcomes before the starting whistle so let’s start.
SC Freiburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Three-Way: 1: SC Freiburg +163; X: +240 Draw; Eintracht Frankfurt +206
Spread 0: SC Freiburg -120; Eintracht Frankfurt +117
Total +2.5: Over +125; Under -128
SC FREIBURG
As mentioned above, SC Freiburg team had a pretty successful 2016/17 season as they finished the year ranked seventh with the same number of wins and losses (14) and six draws during the national championship. Thanks to Borussia Dortmund’s triumph in the final game of DFB Pokal whose winner earns the UEFA Europa League berth, and the fact that Dortmund team already secured the UEFA Champions League berth by finishing at No. 3 spot of the league table, SC Freiburg took their place in the UEFA Europa League after finishing at No. 7 spot of the league table.
Their Europe League trip showed to be a very brief one as they entered the competition in the third qualifying round and got eliminated instantly by the Slovenian representative Domzale team (2:1 in aggregate, 1:0 win at home, 2:0 loss on the road). This was definitely a big blow for the SC Freiburg as the difference in quality between German and Slovenian national soccer league is immeasurable. It could also make a big impact on the morale of the squad along with the fact that team sold their last season’s best player, Maximilian Philipp to Dortmund for a fee worth 20.00 Mill. Euros. Also, winger Vicenzo Griffo changed the environment and signed for Borussia M’Gladbach for a fee worth 6.00 Mill. Euros. Midfielder Sebastian Kerk (1. FC Nuremberg) and attacker Havard Nielsen (F. Dusseldorf) were also among the names that left the team during the offseason.
The guy who is supposed to replace Philipp in the attack is Florian Niederlechner who came from 1. FSV Mainz 05 for a fee worth 2.30 Mill. Euros. Two youngsters attacking midfielder Bartosz Kaputska and centre-back Philipp Leinhart strengthened the squad as part of a loan deals with Leicester City and R.M. Castilla while Pascal Stenzel and Marco Terazzino were acquired from national league rivals Dortmund and Hoffenheim.
Manuel Gulde (back) and Karim Guede (ankle) should be available in a few weeks while Jonas Meffert’s (foot) status is unknown. Georg Niedermeier (groin) is day-to-day while Onur Bulut (ankle) is back in training.
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT
The Eagles fans would be more than happy if the team could repeat the last year’s season opening when they recorded only two defeats in first 14 rounds snatching seven wins during that period. Things looked pretty well for the team after the first part of the competition but after the winter break, they got out of form recording only one win in last 15 rounds that sent the team plummeting down on the league table. Frankfurt team ended the season ranked at the No. 11 spot but they did have some success in the German Cup competition (DFB Pokal) by advancing to the final game in Berlin where they lost to Borussia Dortmund 2:0.
Long periods of the low form must be avoided this time of they don’t want to repeat the last year’s meltdown and during the offseason, they added a couple of potentially impactful players while managing to keep the bulk of the team. Only four players left the team and most notable departure was left-back Bastian Oczipka who signed with FC Schalke 04 (4.50 Mill. Euros fee). Centre-Forward Haris Seferovic (Benfica), Centre-Back Furkan Zorba (VfL Osnabruck) and keeper Heinz Lindner (Grasshoppers) left the team on a free transfer basis.
On the other side, striker Sebastian Haller signed from Dutch side FC Utrecht (7.00 Mill. Euros) and left-back Jetro Willems (5.00 Mill. Euros) followed his footsteps. They continued to address the defensive side of the field by adding Centre-Back Simon Falette from FC Metz (2.70 Mill. Euros) and Right-Back Danny da Costa from Bayer Leverkusen (1.00 Mill Euros), while Japanese native Daichi Kamada who came from J1 League team Sagan Tosu (1.60 Mill. Euros) strengthened the midfield.
Manager Niko Kovac will not have Omar Mascarell (Achilles tendon), Alexander Meier (ankle), Carlos Salcedo (shoulder) and Leon Batge (knee) at his disposal on Sunday while Danny Blum (neck) is listed as day to day. Jonathan de Guzman (groin), Slobodan Medojevic (knee) and Marc Stendera (ankle) are all back in training.
SC Freiburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt – Match Prediction
Under 2.5 goals in total is my safe bet here. Also, SC Freiburg team looks a bit shaken up after that unexpected early UEFA Europa League departure while on the other side Frankfurt plays especially good at the beginning of the season. This is why my additional pick will be guest win.
My pick: Under +2.5 goals (-128)
Additional Pick: Eintracht Frankfurt (+206)
