Bundesliga Freiburg vs Augsburg

As Freiburg host Augsburg at the Stade Europa-Park in the Bundesliga on Saturday, looking to return to winning ways for the first time in three games.

After thrashing Union Berlin 4-1 in November in their final top-flight match before the winter break, the Breisgau-Brasilianer have started the new year on a poor note.

Christian Streich’s side were beaten 6-0 by Wolfsburg in their first game back from the hiatus before a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

With 31 points in 17 games, Freiburg are languishing in sixth position in the table, eight places above Augsburg, who are hovering dangerously above the relegation zone.

The Fuggerstadter have only 18 points from as many games and remain just two points clear of the bottom three, although things were worse just a week ago. Enrico Maaßen’s side picked up a surprise 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach this week, courtesy of an 82nd-minute strike from Mergim Berisha.

It was their first league win in nine matches and propelled the side up from 16th to 14th place to put some daylight between them and the relegation zone.

Doan Japanese Winger in Bundesliga

One of Japan’s heroes at the 2022 World Cup, Doan has played every minute of Freiburg’s two Bundesliga games since, but neither player nor team are yet to fully get going this year. A 6-0 thumping in Wolfsburg last weekend was followed on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt after Matthias Ginter’s equaliser.

It’s so congested at the top that those two games without a win have seen Die Breisgauer tumble from second over the winter break to sixth, but still only five points off leaders Bayern Munich at the mid-point of the season. Yet the team’s haul of 31 points is their best in a Hinrunde since the introduction of three points for a win.

Christian Streich will be relieved that Vincenzo Grifo was able to feature again during the week after a brief bout of flu. The Italy international should start here as Freiburg look to extend their unbeaten run at home to eight games.

Augsburg, meanwhile, climbed to 14th after moving out of the relegation play-off spot on the back of a much needed 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday. Mergim Berisha got the only goal as Die Fuggerstadter earned their first three points since the start of October.

It was also the team’s first clean sheet since September, but they have conceded at least two in each of their last five Bundesliga away games. Coach Enrico Maaben will assess the players’ fitness at the end of this busy Englische Woche, but will likely stick with the side that did the job during the week and came so close to an upset in Dortmund. Ruben Vargas and Irvin Cardona remain out after picking up injuries last weekend.

Freigburg vs Augsburg head to head

Of the last 20 clashes between the sides, Freiburg have won 14 times over Augsburg and lost on seven occasions.

Freiburg are currently on a four-game winning run in the fixture and unbeaten in eight matches in total against Augsburg. This is their longest unbeaten run against any Bundesliga side and are only on a longer winning run against Stuttgart right now (five wins).

Freiburg have lost only four of their 21 Bundesliga games against Augsburg.

Freiburg have 31 points at the halfway stage, the most they have had after 17 matchdays in the Bundesliga (since the three-point system was introduced).

Freiburg are winless in 2023, failing to win both their games in the calendar year so far. They last failed to win first three games of a calendar year in 2019 (5 games).

Freiburg are unbeaten in their last seven Bundesliga home games, their longest such run since October 2021.