Third game, third win: SC Freiburg still have their sights firmly set on the round of 16 in the Europa League.
Even without coach Christian Streich, who was absent due to a positive corona test, the Bundesliga soccer team deservedly won 2-0 (0-0) against FC Nantes from France and further extended their lead in Group G.
Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (48′), who played well recently, gave Freiburg the lead in front of 33,200 spectators at the Europa-Park Stadium, Vincenzo Grifo followed suit (72′). Freiburg are now unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.
The only downside: Striker Michael Gregoritsch had to be replaced early due to injury (20′).
SC Freiburg the more active team
Despite the numerous games, Freiburg started with the same starting XI for the fifth time in a row and had an early chance to score through Gregoritsch (3rd). Even after that, the Breisgauer remained the more active team and tried to get more opportunities by having a lot of ball possession.
The sports club, which was coached on the sidelines by assistant coach Patrick Baier, only became dangerous again after a little more than 20 minutes: Philipp Lienhart headed just over the goal after a corner (22nd), Ritsu Doan failed from the Distance (26th).
A short time later, Kyereh narrowly missed the lead with a deflected shot (32′). Until then, the guests from Nantes had hardly found their way into the game and were waiting for a counterattack.
Grifo follows up, Nantes misses a great opportunity
After the break, Freiburg rewarded themselves early and took a well-deserved lead through Kyereh (48′) after a pass from Doan. As a result, the hosts remained the game-determining team and pushed for the second goal with some combination play that was well worth seeing. At first, Grifo (63′) missed from a short distance before making the preliminary decision with a well-placed shot (72′).
For Nantes, Evann Guessand missed the best chance when he aimed far over from a promising position (84th). Freiburg is already challenged again on Sunday in the Bundesliga at Hertha BSC (5:30 p.m. / DAZN).