Petersen scores again as Freiburg beat Augsburg

Augsburg 1-2 Freiburg
Goals: 0-1 Petersen 5' (assist: Sallai), 1-1 Gregoritsch 16' (assist: Niederlechner), 1-2 N. Schlotterbeck (26')

Having hit a last-minute equaliser to salvage a point against Mainz last weekend, Petersen and Freiburg carried on where they had left off as they sought a first ever win at Augsburg’s WWK Arena. The visitors were in front after just four minutes as Petersen beat his marker to Roland Sallai’s near-post cross from the right, heading in from close range. Wooyeong Jeong went close to adding a second shortly afterwards with a swerving shot that left goalkeeper Rafal Gikiwiecz barking instructions at his teammates to up their game. It seemed to have the desired effect as the home side were soon level, Michael Gregoritsch collecting Florian Niederlechner’s pass before curling in from outside the box. Undeterred, Freiburg remained the better side and took a narrow lead into the break after a clever free-kick routine ended with Nico Schlotterbeck poking in on the rebound after another Gikiewicz save.

If Christian Streich's charges had been the better side in the first half, Augsburg were on top in the second, initially at least. Yet for all their drive and high pressing, they struggled to seriously trouble the Freiburg rearguard and after weathering the storm, the guests went on the front foot again. Jeong should have hit the target rather than fire over after a flowing move involving Schlotterbeck and Christian Günter, while Nicolas Höfler prodded wide on the follow-up after Gikiewicz parried a dipping Vincenzo Grifo free-kick. Both teams made a flurry of substitutions in the closing stages in an effort to decide matters, but it was Augsburg who went closest to adding to the scoreline. First, Gregoritsch’s header from a pin-point Ruben Vargas cross sailed inches wide, before Alfred Finnbogason dinked a shot just beyond the post when one-on-one with Mark Flekken, leaving Freiburg to celebrate a maiden Bundesliga victory in Augsburg.

• Petersen, making his first Bundesliga start of the season, scored with his first effort on goal for a second successive week.
• The forward's goal was the 12th Freiburg have scored with a header in 2021/22, a new single-season club record.
• The Black Forest side have scored nine times in the opening 15 minutes this term, putting them third in the division in that particular metric. Augsburg have conceded a league-high 10 times in that period.
• Gregoritsch netted his sixth Bundesliga goal this season, all of which have come in his last 11 outings.
• Schlotterbeck's goal was his third of the current campaign, and a league-best 18th from a set-piece.

Watch: Vincenzo Grifo hails 'true professional' Petersen

Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Framberger, Gouweleeuw (c), Oxford, Iago (Günther 71') - Hahn (Sarenren Bazee 71'), Gruezo (Moravek 60'), Dorsch, Vargas (Pepi 80') - Niederlechner (Finnbogason 60'), Gregoritsch
Unused subs: Koubek, Pedersen, Uduokhai, Caligiuri
Out: Gumny (ankle), Jensen (knock), Maier (match fitness), Strobl (knee), Winther (not included)
Coach: Markus Weinzierl

Freiburg: Flekken - Schmid (Kübler 55'), Lienhart, N. Schlotterbeck, Günter (c) - Eggestein, Höfler - Sallai (Schade 74'), Jeong (Demirovic 74'), Grifo (Gulde 87') - Petersen (Höler 74')
Unused subs: Uphoff, Siquet, Haberer, Weißhaupt
Out: Keitel (broken toe)
Coach: Christian Streich

Watch: Freiburg head coach Christian Streich praises set-piece special