SC Freiburg has won a wild Baden-Württemberg duel against VfB Stuttgart at the end and has turned a complete false start into the season. Two jokers took care of the Freiburg victory.
The SC Freiburg celebrated its first win of the season on the 3rd matchday of the new Bundesliga season and bent a gap in front of 34,700 spectators. In the Schwäbisch-Baden duel against VfB Stuttgart, the Breisgauer prevailed 3: 1 (0: 1). Against the cup winner from Stuttgart, the sports club had to accept the goal from Ermedin Demirović (20th minute), who crowned the best phase of VfB with his first goal of the season. After the deficit, Freiburg made more for the game over long distances and rewarded the hits by the substitute Igor Matanović (81st, 90th+2) and Derry Scherhann (86.). Shortly before the end, Johann Manzambi saw the red card (90.+8).
VfB new bouanani and el Khannouss in starting eleven
The SC Freiburg had gone to the duel with VfB with the mortgage of two defeats from the first two season games. On the bankruptcy Kick off against Augsburg followed for the Freiburg Clear 1: 4 defeat at the promoted 1. FC Köln. SC coach Julian Schuster wanted the difficult task against the Swabian rival, but not as a burden, but as an opportunity. “I think this rivalry can also help to get the energy we need on the pitch,” said Schuster before the game.
Unlike the sports club, VfB had with the hard won victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach can prevent the false start into the season. But by the departure of striker Nick Woltemade to Newcastle and the violation of international Deniz Undav, the Shaken off the Swabian offensive made. And so VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß offered the two offensive newcomers Badredine Bouanani (OSC Lille) and Bilal El Khannouss (Leicester City) against SC Freiburg from the start.
However, both teams started the game less offensive, but rather calm and with the effort for game control. In the first quarter of an hour there was no significant gate opportunities, the first ending dared to finished El Khannouss (16th). However, his legal shot stroked relatively clearly above the Freiburg Gate.
VfB striker Demirović with a stroke of genius to lead
The Swabians now increasingly shifted the game to the Freiburg half and were rewarded for their activity in the 20th minute: The hapless Demirović was previously served by Jamie Leweling with a cross from the left by Jamie Leweling. The Bosnian reacted more than ripped off near the penalty point when he inserted the ball with his hoe past SC goalkeeper Noah Atubolu flat into the left corner for the 1-0 lead-a dream goal.
The Freiburgers first had to shake off the shock of the goal, and only eight minutes later Jan-Niklas made the best with a low shot from 16 meters the first SC goal shot. VfB keeper Alexander Nübel kept safely. In the 34th minute it was Manzambi who tried an individual campaign, but also moved.
In this phase, the guests rested a little on the lead and hardly came over the center line, let alone the SC gate. Freiburg disrupted early and pushed VfB back to his own penalty area. Shortly before the break, Patrick Osterhage came back to the end (45.+2), but no longer brought Nübel into trouble. And so it went into the half -time break with the tight leadership of the guests.
Freiburg comes out of the break with more momentum
Without personnel changes, both teams went into the second half. However, the hosts were linked to the intensity with which they had performed before the break. Lukas Kübler forced to a good parade from the right side of the right side (52nd). Freiburg continued to command about the game, but continues to jump out too rarely.
VfB continued to hold back in the offensive, only Leweling dared to graduate again in the 62nd minute, which went over the SC gate. Afterwards, both trainers changed for the first time. On the Freiburg side, Vincenzo Grifo left the field a little surprisingly for Derry Scherhann, at Stuttgart Tiago Tomás came for Bouanani.
At first, the change did not change the game. Freiburg played well to the last third, but was not able to turn the superiority out of the game in goal risk – even if the SC increasingly constricted the guests at their penalty area. In order to develop even more punch on the offensive, SC coach Schuster brought Igor Matanović a almost quarter of an hour before the end. Matanović had missed the first two games with muscular problems and took over the center forward position for Lucas Höler.
“I wouldn’t even have believed that I was in the squad,” said substitute striker after the game in the ARD interview. It was very early after his injury, only on Tuesday he got into training. “I am overjoyed that he [Schuster] has chosen it. “
Matanović laces the double pack for Freiburg
Because it was a change that turned out to be the gold: just three minutes after he came into play, the 22-year-old completed a SC attack on the right side with a left-wing shot from almost 16 meters under distressing into the left corner. And the substitution of Scherhann also proved to be the right decision. Because five minutes after the equalization, he got the loudly acclaimed – and also deserved – 2-1 for the hosts by slaming the ball under the crossbar from the left corner of the penalty area. The two jokers had shot the game for the hosts. “We lose control,” said VfB goalkeeper Demirović a little stirred after the game. “I thought that we would pull the game over time and just gain a dirty 1-0.”
After the Freiburg double strike, it was still not over. Because in the second minute of stoppage time there was still a penalty for the sports club after Manzambi had been brought off his feet in the penalty area of Finn Jeltsch. Matanović took responsibility and certainly transformed to 3: 1. What a debut for the center forward!
There was still a small damper shortly before the final whistle, because Manzambi, who had repeatedly boosted the Freiburg game over the left side, hit his opponent with his foot at head height in a duel with Ramon Hendriks. Referee Daniel Siebert pulled out the red card and sent the 19-year-old off the field. On the 3: 1 success for the Breisgauer, the dismissal did not change anything.
VfB receives St. Pauli, Freiburg has to go to Bremen
Due to the first victory in the third game, the sports club avoided the entire false start into the season and ensured a clear mood for the mood in Breisgau. “It was a start that we had imagined differently,” admitted Matchwinner Matanović. “But today we showed a great reaction, we were the better team.” Stuttgart surprisingly withdrew and Freiburg “played it over the line at the end”.
Next Saturday (20.9., 3:30 p.m., live in the audio stream on sportschau.de), with the away game at SV Werder Bremen, a tricky task is waiting for the SC. Already on Friday (September 19, 8:30 p.m., live in the audio stream on Sportschau.de), the Stuttgart, who are now with two defeats and a win, open the fourth matchday with the home game against St. Pauli.
Prize on Saturday, September 1st, 2025 2:00 p.m., stadium, SWR1
