After three consecutive wins, Freiburg are evercloser to a debut appearance in the Champions League. But to seal the deal, they must kill Bayer Leverkusen's dreams of defending their title.
Freiburg are one of several unusual teams that stepped up this season but unlike other examples like Mainz, they found their best form at the right time. With three rounds to go, Freiburg are at the pole position to finish 4th in the Bundesliga and qualify for the CL for the first time in their history.
It is fair to say that Breisgau-Brasilianer were lucky to have a lighter schedule compared to some of the other contenders for the Top 4, and they took advantage by winning their last three matches. Bayer Leverkusen will be a much tougher challenge, although Die Werkself have not been phenomenal on the road lately.
The title race is probably going to end anyway, regardless if Leverkusen win or lose, as Bayern Munich have a much easier fixture on their hands this weekend. But Xabi Alonso's side shouldn't gift the title to Bayern just like that and there is always a possibility that the Bavarians make a mistake.
How the bookies view it: It will definitely be close
Bookmakers understand the complexity behind this fixture and realise that Bayer Leverkusen are not such a significant favourite this time. Therefore, you can pick Freiburg at 11/5, the draw at 12/5, or Leverkusen at 5/4.
Recent head to head: Every clash has been explosive
It is fair to say that this rivalry has been one of the most attractive in recent years, as the two teams produced a number of unbelievable fixtures. But even in this historic season, Freiburg still came short when they faced Leverkusen in December (5-1). And overall, Die Werkself won six of the last 10 H2Hs, including the last three in a row.
Players to watch: Wirtz's favourite opponent
While Florian Wirtz has not yet found his form since returning from injury, this is the perfect time to pick him for a bet. With nine goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga, he is still one of the most effective players this season. But more importantly, he's been a literal monster in the matches against Freiburg, with three goals and four assists in the last three encounters. Most notably, he got a hat-trick of assists and a goal in the reverse fixture this season, although he also missed an early penalty.
Probable line-ups
Freiburg: Atubolu, Gunter, Ginter, Lienhart, Kubler, Eggestein, Osterhage, Doan, Holer, Grifo, Adamu
Bayer Leverkusen: Kovar, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie, Grimaldo, Xhaka, Palacios, Frimpong, Adli, Schick, Wirtz
Anything else catch the eye?
You can always expect fireworks when these teams meet, as the last nine H2Hs in a row all featured goals from both sides. Eight of those nine encounters also covered Over 2.5 goals. Given the significance of this match, we expect to see another goal-packed clash. Additionally, Freiburg had BTTS & Over 2.5 in four of their last five Bundesliga games.
Otherwise, betting on Under 4.5 cards or Under 2.5 cards for Freiburg is a solid shout in this matchup, as Freiburg are the team with the fewest fouls in the league this season. Their football is clean and they average just 1.64 cards per match through an average of 8.38 fouls per match.
This German Bundesliga match between Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Freiburg vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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