Freiburg vs. Hoffenheim preview: All-Baden clash in Breisgau

Freiburg impressed in their win over Bremen, creating four big chances and scoring three goals for the second straight league game. Schuster’s side have found the net in 13 consecutive Bundesliga matches – their longest streak since 2010 – and they’ve already scored four goals from set pieces this season, the third-most in the league.

After conceding seven times in their opening two matches, Freiburg have tightened up defensively, conceding just once across their last two fixtures. They beat Basel 2-1 in their Europa League opener on Thursday, marking their third straight win in all competitions, though defensive solidity remains a concern with just one clean sheet in their last five games.

A victory on Sunday would be their third home win in a row – matching their total from the previous nine at Europa-Park Stadion.

Johan Manzambi remains suspended following his red card against Stuttgart earlier this month, but Lucas Höler is available to start in his place. Chukwubuike Adamu is a doubt with a knock, so Igor Matanović could come in up front. Matthias Ginter and Philipp Lienhart are set to anchor the defence again, having started every league game so far.

Predicted lineup – 4-2-3-1: Atubolu – Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo – Eggestein, Osterhage – Beste, Höler, Grifo – Matanović

Christian Ilzer’s side shouldn’t be overly discouraged by their heavy loss to Bayern, but their defensive record is worrying, with seven goals conceded in their last three matches. Offensively, they remain dangerous, averaging two goals per game this season and failing to score only once in their last 12 competitive fixtures.

Hoffenheim’s record against Freiburg is poor, with no wins in their last eight meetings and six defeats in that run, including a 3-2 loss in this fixture last April. However, they’ve won all three of their away games this season and have scored at least twice in each of their last six domestic away fixtures.