Bundesliga
Unbeaten Freiburg welcome Salzburg
Freiburg can take a big step towards the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League as they put their unbeaten record on the line at home to Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CET).
Julian Schuster’s team are one of four yet to taste defeat in the Europa League this season and sit fourth in the standings with five out of eight games played in the league phase. They have 11 points on the board, leading the pack chasing the three teams in Lyon, Midtjylland and Aston Villa on 12 points.
Freiburg opened their European campaign with a 2-1 win at home to Basel in September before Junior Adamu earned them a 1-1 draw away at Bologna.
Yuito Suzuki and Vincenzo Grifo were on target to claim a 2-0 victory over Utrecht before a first-half treble from Grifo, Johan Manzambi and Derry Scherhant brought three more points with a 3-1 win in Nice at the start of November. A fortnight ago they were held to a goalless draw at Viktoria Plzen, who are the only team alongside Lyon to concede fewer goals than Freiburg’s three.
Salzburg dropped into the Europa League after losing their Champions League third-round qualifier to Club Brugge. Coached by former Bochum boss Thomas Letsch, the Austrians have won just one of their five assignments in the competition – 2-0 at home to Go Ahead Eagles on Matchday 4 – and have lost the other four against Porto (1-0), Lyon (2-0), Ferencvaros (3-2) and most recently Bologna (4-1).
It leaves Salzburg 29th in the 36-team table, which wouldn’t be enough for a spot in the knockout play-offs with three games to go.
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Freiburg
Salzburg
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Freiburg beaten
Freiburg suffered a narrow defeat at Heidenheim on Saturday due to a stoppage-time strike, but remain well placed in the Bundesliga table in ninth.
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Welcome!
Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of Freiburg's Europa League encounter at home to Red Bull Salzburg on Matchday 6 of the league phase, which kicks off at 9pm CET on Thursday.