Freiburg maintain European push with Augsburg win

Freiburg 2-0 Augsburg
Goals: 1-0 Sallai (51'), 2-0 Lienhart (79')

With 22 of the 28 goals scored across the first eight games of Matchday 26 coming in first halves, this fixture had a lot to live up to. And Freiburg almost made it 23 inside the opening minutes. Captain Christian Günter's cross from the left was met on the volley by Baptiste Santamaria but only directed straight at goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz. The rebound was then headed over by Guus Til on his full Bundesliga debut. There were few gilt-edged chances that followed. Marco Richter had a couple of efforts from distance without much threat - all of Augsburg's first three shots came from outside the box. Perhaps their best chance fell to Laszlo Benes after good interplay with Richter, but the Borussia Mönchengladbach loanee failed to hit the target with his effort from just inside 18 yards.

It was always going to take a bit of magic to break the deadlock, and that ultimately came from Günter. The Freiburg captain, fresh from signing a contract extension during the week, skipped past three Augsburg defenders before laying off to Sallai, who found the bottom corner with the first attempt of the second half. It was then over to goalkeeper Florian Müller to maintain the lead, making sharp saves to first deny Richter, a crisp drive from Rani Khedira, and then a powerful free-kick from Daniel Caligiuri. The win was then wrapped up when Lienhart nodded home a rebound after Günter's dangerous free-kick into the box was headed against the post by Ermedin Demirovic. It means Freiburg move up to eighth place - only three points off Bayer Leverkusen in sixth and the last European spot.

• Sallai's goal was his sixth of the campaign, having only scored four in his previous two Bundesliga seasons.
• Til, 23, made his first Bundesliga start on his fifth appearance for Freiburg.
• Lienhart scored his fourth goal of the season. It's the most among defenders together with Willi Orban, Angelino and Marvin Friedrich.
• Freiburg kept a clean sheet in the first half for the eighth straight Bundesliga game. They last managed that in 2018.
• The Black Forest club have now lost only one of their last 11 Bundesliga games against Augsburg (W5, D5).
• Augsburg have managed only one clean sheet in their last 12 Bundesliga fixtures.

Watch: Lienhart: "We're in a comfortable position"

Freiburg: Müller - Kübler (Schmid 73'), Lienhart, Gulde (Schlotterbeck 81'), Günter (c) - Santamaria, Höfler - Sallai (Heintz 81'), Til (Demirovic 56'), Grifo (Haberer 81') - Höler
Unused subs: Uphoff, Jeong, Keitel
Out: Flekken (elbow), Keitel (groin), Tempelmann (ligament)
Coach: Christian Streich

Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Framberger, Gouweleeuw (c), Uduokhai, Gumny (Pedersen 80') - Strobl (Gruezo 61'), Khedira (Niederlechner 80') - Caligiuri, Benes (Vargas 61'), Richter - Hahn
Unused subs: Koubek, Suchy, Sarenren Bazee, Oxford, Gregoritsch
Out: Civeja (pelvis), Finnbogason (calf), Iago (ankle), Jensen (thigh), Moravek (muscular)
Coach: Heiko Herrlich