Dortmund (dpa) – Corona, standard situations and statistics that are quite negative for the guests: These are three of the important topics before the game between second-placed Borussia Dortmund and fourth-placed SC Freiburg on Friday (8:30 p.m. / DAZN).
Initial situation:If Borussia wants to challenge FC Bayern for the tenth championship in a row, then a win is a must. After all, the gap is still six points after Bayern Munich’s 2-1 draw against Mönchengladbach. For Freiburg, after the weak 2-2 draw against Arminia Bielefeld, it’s about continuing to bite down with a win in the Champions League places or at least in the top third of the table.
Statistics: As successful as Christian Streich is as coach of SC Freiburg: In Dortmund he has never won in his ten-year tenure as head coach of the Breisgauer. It has not been enough for more than a draw at the end of January 2018 (2: 2). But in their own stadium, Streich’s team has recently proven twice that they can beat BVB: in the first half of this season and the second half of last season 2-1. In addition, the Badeners know about the defensive weaknesses of Dortmund, even if they have great respect for their offensive. In addition, Borussia is currently the best home team in the league together with Bayern with 24 points – with one game less than the champions.
Standards:While Dortmund are quite vulnerable in standard situations this season, Freiburg score almost regularly from free kicks or corner kicks. They have managed to do this 16 times in the 18 matchdays they have played so far. That’s the best in the league.
Corona:SC Freiburg was also hit hard last week. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, central defender Nico Schlotterbeck and defensive talent Kiliann Sildillia tested positive for the corona virus and missed the draw against Bielefeld. Schlotterbeck was able to test himself free in the meantime, but is not yet fit again. Benjamin Uphoff will be in goal again for Flekken. Midfielder Marius Wolf is back at BVB after a corona infection, for defender Dan-Axel Zagadou it is still too early. Defender Manuel Akanji is an option after knee surgery.
Spectator:The stadiums, which are often almost empty due to the pandemic, are a problem for the coaches. Freiburg’s prank told the “Badische Zeitung” (Thursday) that during the ghost games at the beginning of the Corona crisis, he and his team were still very focused on “getting something positive and exciting out of this situation. In the meantime, you have to be in the stadium on Saturdays pull it together so it doesn’t depress you,” he said. The fact that only 750 spectators can be there in Dortmund annoys him. His Dortmund colleague Marco Rose doesn’t sound any better: “With 750 people you can hear one or the other. That can give us a little something. But when we talk about a stadium where 80,000 people go in and our fans are missing, then it’s difficult and makes no fun either.”
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