With 25 games played, SC Freiburg are sitting eighth in the Bundesliga table. Though solidly mid-table in many of the stats, one of their more striking characteristics is their high work rate. In total, they have already covered around 3,018 kilometres, making them one of the league’s hardest-running teams. Maximilian Eggestein stands out in particular with just under 300 kilometres covered. He not only leads the team but is also among the hardest-working players in the entire Bundesliga.

Freiburg are also in the upper mid-table in the heading statistics. Around 500 aerial duels won currently puts them fifth. Union, however, are well ahead in this respect, having won nearly 100 more aerial duels and trailing only Mainz in this category. Freiburg appear very stable in many areas, though, and they are a compact team that have avoided the fluctuations in performance that have bedevilled many of their competitors.

This is also the case in attack, and it is notable that their goal threat is spread across several players, with no clear top scorer. Vincenzo Grifo leads the way with seven goals, though four of these came from the penalty spot. Behind him are four players with at least six or more goals, which shows that Freiburg tend to score through the interplay of the entire attack rather than relying on a single striker.

Union have suffered just one defeat in their last eleven games against Freiburg. The two sides have met 19 times in competitive matches so far, with Union coming out on top eight times. There have been six draws, while Freiburg have won five.

Before Janik Haberer moved to Union in the summer of 2022, he played for SCF for six years and was involved in 30 goals across his 171 appearances. Wooyeong Jeong also played alongside him, racking up 17 goals and assists in exactly 100 games.

There will also be a reunion on the touchline on Sunday. Freiburg’s fitness coach Daniel Wolf worked for four years as a rehabilitation and fitness coach at Union from 2012, whilst assistant coach Florian Bruns played a total of 45 matches in an Union shirt between January 2003 and July 2004.

Robert Skov and Diogo Leite will be unavailable for the match in Breisgau due to injury. Furthermore, András Schäfer (red card) and Leopold Querfeld (fifth yellow card) are suspended for the upcoming match.

“Freiburg are one of the most compact teams in the league," said Union head coach, Steffen Baumgart, during his press conference on Friday afternoon. "They allow very few scoring chances and always operate with a clear plan. Additionally, they have shown outstanding development in recent years. Their squad is well-staffed at many positions, which makes it difficult for us to predict how they will perform this weekend. Our goal is to ensure an exciting game and to take something tangible away with us.”

Around 1,900 Union fans are travelling to Freiburg for the away match at the Europa-Park Stadium. The Union fan bus will also be there. Information on visiting the stadium can be found here (German)