Freiburg aim to put an end to their unusual streak of draws when they meet Utrecht, who have not yet won a point in the Europa League and sit dangerously close to the bottom of the league table.
From one point of view, we can say that Freiburg are not doing badly at all this season. After all, they are unbeaten in seven consecutive games. But at the same time, their last four matches have ended in draws.
There are also longer-term positive statistics, such as the fact that Freiburg have won their last five European matches at home. But this streak will not continue if their scoring problems continue.
As for the visitors from Utrecht, they finally managed to end their poor run of five defeats and one draw with their victory over Volendam during the weekend. However, this does not change their poor form away from home this season, which includes a defeat to the modest Brann in the previous round.
Utrecht’s first appearance in a UEFA competition since 2019 has been a failure to date, and the worst part is that the team hasn’t won a main-draw fixture in Europe since 2004.
How the bookies view it: Freiburg to continue winning at home
Bookmakers clearly do not believe in Utrecht's abilities, with the odds currently leaning heavily towards another home win for Freiburg. You can currently back the German hosts at 11/20, while Utrecht are available at 17/4. If you believe a draw is possible, you can also back that at 33/10.
Recent head-to-head: A rare type of clash for both sides
Freiburg and Utrecht have never had a chance to compete in the past, so we will witness the start of another new rivalry. And overall, the hosts last played a Dutch side more than 20 years ago, while Utrecht last met a German foe in Europe more than 40 years ago.
Players to watch: Time for Grifo to shine again
As mentioned above, goals have been hard to find for Freiburg lately, although they scored at least once in four out of their last five matches. But the lack of goals makes it hard to predict which player will step up against Utrecht.
We like to think that Vincenco Grifo is the best pick right now, especially after his equaliser against Eintracht Frankfurt over the weekend. The Italian was arguably Freiburg’s most efficient player last season with 10 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, so he is a valid pick.
Probable line-ups
Freiburg: Atubolu, Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter, Eggestein, Hofler, Beste, Holer, Grifo, Adamu
Utrecht: Barkas, Horemans, Van der Hoorn, Viergever, El Karouani, Iqbal, Zechiel, Engwanda, Rodriguez, Min, Blake
Anything else catch the eye?
Both of Utrecht’s UEL matches to date ended in 1-0 defeats, but the fixture against Freiburg should be a different case. And especially after the recent win, the visitors should have some of their confidence restored.
Six of Freiburg’s 10 fixtures this season saw both teams score, and six featured at least three goals. Their goalscoring form has not been ideal lately, but they scored 2+ goals in three out of five home games this season, while all five had BTTS. We expect to see some action and the odds are surprisingly high too.
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