Borussia Dortmund vs Freiburg Preview: Bundesliga Showdown

On Friday at 2:30 PM ET, Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg will meet. This will be the sides' second meeting of the Bundesliga season; Borussia Dortmund won the first one 4-2. The last time they played, Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 ended in a 0-0 home tie.

On February 3, SC Freiburg lost 3-1 at home to VfB Stuttgart in their most recent game. The lone goal for SC Freiburg came from Lukas Kubler. The last time these two sides faced off, on September 16, Borussia Dortmund prevailed 4-2. Borussia Dortmund had 11 shots in that game, while SC Freiburg had 15. Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund scored twice on two shots. Lucas Holer and Nicolas Hofler both scored one goal for SC Freiburg.

Comparison Data & Analysis

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund is ranked fifth with 2.0 goals scored per game, while SC Freiburg is ranked tenth with 1.7 goals allowed per game on defence.

Borussia Dortmund is ranked fourth defensively in the Bundesliga after giving up 1.3 goals per game, while SC Freiburg is ranked 12th offensively in the league with an average of 1.3 goals per game.

Borussia Dortmund has a +14 goal differential, which puts them seventh in the league.

SC Freiburg has a -8 goal difference and is ranked 12th in the league.

With 292 shots taken over 20 games, Borussia Dortmund is ranked fifth in the Bundesliga in terms of shots taken, while SC Freiburg is ranked ninth with 272 shots faced over the same 20 games.

Borussia Dortmund is ranked 10th in terms of shots allowed (274 in 20 games), while SC Freiburg is ranked 13th in terms of shots (227 in 20 games).

Borussia Dortmund sits sixth in the league in terms of shooting differential with +18 overall (+0.9 per game).

The shooting differential of SC Freiburg is the 12th best in the league with -45 overall and -2.3 per game.

Borussia Dortmund Leaders

Niclas Fullkrug is a standout player for Borussia Dortmund with nine goals and five assists.

Julian Brandt has seven assists and six goals, ranking 18th in the league.

Despite having no assists, Donyell Malen is 12th in the league with seven goals.

With 19 shots, 1.1 goals per game, Marco Reus has four goals and one assist.

Borussia Dortmund, who were forced to settle for a scoreless draw away at Heidenheim last weekend, will be looking for an early reaction from their hosts. Though Edin Terzic's team may have already decided that winning the Bundesliga is no longer a possibility, BVB is in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League once more in 2024. 

The former West Ham manager's team triumphed 3-0 away at Darmstadt to kick off their return from Germany's holiday break. Since the start of the Bundesliga, the team has managed to accumulate 10 points. Dortmund, seeing a huge chance, has made some significant progress in the back line. 

With only one domestic strike in their past four meetings, Terzic's team has a strong record against Friday's opponents, which will thrill them. Actually, Dortmund has defeated Freiburg in each of their last four encounters in a row.

Team News

Sebastian Haller won't be available for Borussia Dortmund on Friday night since he is still with the Ivory Coast at this month's AFCON. Similarly, this weekend's players like Karim Adeyemi, Felix Nmecha, Julian Ryerson, and Julian Brandt are all currently battling their own injuries.

After missing out on Heidenheim last weekend, BVB is worried about Jadon Sancho's fitness once more because he is on loan from Manchester United. German international Niclas Fulkrug, who has nine Bundesliga goals in his 18 games this season, will lead Dortmun's attack.

Leaders of SC Freiburg

Vincenzo Grifo is a vital member of the SC Freiburg team, having contributed five goals and seven assists.

Holer, who has six goals and one assist, is another important member of the SC Freiburg team.

For SC Freiburg, Michael Gregoritsch is also contributing with three goals and one assist.

Roland Sallai has one assist and three goals.

As for the visitors, Christian Streich's team is hoping for a much-needed lift, even though Freiburg may still be focused on earning another European finish in 2024. The Reds have only won once in their last five Bundesliga games played before the holiday break. Their most recent loss came at home to Stuttgart, when they were defeated 3-1.

Similarly, Freiburg closed January with a concerning 3-1 thrashing at the hands of Werder Bremen, demonstrating their ongoing defensive problems. Streich's team has scored 11 goals in their last five games, including an exciting 3-2 loss to Heidenheim last month. 

After losing 4-2 to Borussia Dortmund at the Europa-Park Stadion on September 16, Friday's visitors are understandably picked as the underdog in this match.

Team News

Merlin Rohl, 21, who was shown a red card in the first half of the match against Stuttgart last week, will be absent due to suspension. This weekend, Freiburg will continue to be without the services of former St. Pauli midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who has not made a single Bundesliga appearance this season.

But Ritsu Doan, who returned from the Asia Cup after Japan's elimination, may play again on Friday night. Maximilian Philipp, a former star of Borussia Dortmund, may make his first start at Signal Iduna Park since the end of October.

Borussia Dortmund, who won 4-2 in an exciting match when they visited the Europa-Park Stadion on September 16, will undoubtedly like to return here. After returning from the holiday break with some much-needed defensive resolve, Friday's hosts will be energised by a remarkable record versus Freiburg. With the German titans having won their last four home games and seeing a big chance this weekend, we predict a win at home.