Bundesliga: Leipzig and Freiburg Prove Themselves in the German Top Flight

RB Leipzig vs SC Freiburg

Both clubs have been excelling in other European contests, but now is the time to get over the Bundesliga hump. Christian Streich and the rest of Freiburg aim to improve on their lukewarm start in the German top flight this season when they storm Red Bull Arena to face off against RB Leipzig.

Marco Rose has taken his team to the knockout stages of the Champions League tournament by defeating Crvena Zvezda in Serbia. And like Freiburg, they are also keen on improving their performance in the Bundesliga and solidifying their claim as one of the best clubs in Germany.

Talking Points

Leipzig reach Champions League knockout stages

Not only are RB Leipzig a legitimate threat in the Bundesliga, but they’re also holding their own against Europe’s best. Marco Rose and his team have clinched their spot in the Champions League round of 16 after their impressive victory over Red Star Belgrade at the Rajko Mitic Stadium last week. Alongside Manchester City, the Red Bulls are the teams to come out of Group G to advance to the next stage of the tournament.

The Red Bulls marched onto Belgrade and faced Crvena Zvezda with the hopes of clinching the second seed in Group G, and they wasted no time sounding out their intentions, as Xavi Simons started the party in the early minutes of the first half when he showcased one of the best highlight of the tournament.

The budding Dutch striker displayed a brilliant individual effort when he carried the ball past an uninspiring Crvena Zvezda defence, before curling a beautiful strike that slotted its way past Omri Glazer to put Leipzig up 1-0 right before the 8-minute mark. Lois Openda then followed up with a goal of his own in the second half after receiving a gorgeous through ball that opened him up for a powerful strike that found the bottom corner of the goal.

Crvena Zvezda got one goal back after a Henrichs own goal, but fell short of making a comeback. The match ended with a 2-1 score line in favour of the home team, securing their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Meanwhile, Crvena Zvezda and BSC Young Boys will battle it out for a chance to compete in the Europa League group stage.

Freiburg shine in the Europa League

With their shaky form in the Bundesliga this season, Freiburg can take comfort in the stellar run they’re having in the Europa League. As they’re positioned now, Christian Streich and his team are poised to compete in the play-offs, but they are more than capable of grabbing the top seed in Group A to propel themselves to the next round of the Europa League.

After giving Backa Topola a proper 5-0 thrashing at Europa-Park Stadion, Freiburg are now tied with West Ham with nine points in Group A. They lead their group with 12 goals, and they also have the highest goal differential of seven, so Christian Streich should be happy with how his club fares with other capable clubs across Europe.

They, however, have seemed to be stagnant in the Bundesliga. They have won just two of their last eight matches in the German top flight, and with just 14 points, Freiburg are four points worse off after 10 games than they were last season.

History

Leipzig have been unbeaten at home in their last seven Bundesliga games against Freiburg and have also been undefeated against Freiburg in their last nine competitive matchups by defeating Breisgau-Brasilianer in their DFB-Pokal semi-final bout and winning both Bundesliga fixtures last season.

In recent form, Leipzig are still one of the top contenders in the German top flight this season, garnering 20 points in their first 10 games. Currently fifth at the league table, their recent defeat in Mainz cost them the opportunity to leap past Dortmund and Stuttgart and land in the third spot. Instead, they look to bounce back against Freiburg at Red Bull Arena.

SC Freiburg, on the other hand, have been shaky in their Bundesliga campaign. Christian Streich and his squad have yet to show some consistency in their season and have not been able to produce the early Bundesliga 2023 results they were hoping for. In their last five games, they have conceded two defeats, two wins, and a draw. They are still a threat for any club in the Bundesliga, and their recent 5-0 win against Backa Topola in the Europa League is a testament to what they are capable of.

Betting Tip

SBOTOP has the home team, RB Leipzig, as the heavy favourites to win this match. Even after coming off a clean sheet defeat, the Bundesliga 2023 odds suggest that they will quickly bounce back when they host Breisgau-Brasilianer on Sunday.

Leipzig are priced at a reasonable 1.42; SC Freiburg are the underdogs at 5.80; and the draw price is at 4.40. Leipzig at 1.42 seems like a sound line to bet on, as it sides with the favourites and holds enough value to make a few bucks.

Personally, I’d go with Leipzig’s Asian Handicap of -1.00 at 1.68. Their dominance at Red Bull Arena, recent form, and winning history against Freiburg give me enough confidence that they will come out as the victors by more than one goal.

In their total of 18 head-to-head matchups, both teams combined have scored 56 goals, with Leipzig scoring 37 and Freiburg scoring 19. So punters should also take into consideration the O/U lines for this match. Over 2.75 at 1.70 looks like an enticing line to bet on, given the line’s value and the participants’ goal-getting abilities.

 

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