Bundesliga: Under Pressure Bayern Head to Freiburg

SC Freiburg vs Bayern Munich

Second placed Bayern Munich open up the weekend’s top flight entertainment on Friday with a trip to the Europa Park Stadion to take on Christian Streich’s ninth placed SC Freiburg.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel’s on his way out of the Munich club at the end of the season and, with his team recently drifting off the pace in the Bundesliga as well as struggling in Europe, these are uncertain times in Bavaria. They face an opponent which has gone through its own rough patch, but Freiburg are showing signs of getting things together again and they will be difficult to beat.    

The hosts come into the game on the back of a 2-1 defeat away to Augsburg while Bayern ended a three match losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Red Bull Leipzig, the hosts need to pick up results to keep in touch with the European places but the pressure is all on Bayern.   

Talking Points

Freiburg looking for a bounce-back

After finishing fifth last term SC Freiburg made a strong start to the current campaign, as well as thriving in the Europa League; but a run of one point from five league games has seen Streich’s team fall to ninth place and five points off the European slots. Italian winger Vincenzo Grifo scored Freiburg’s goal in the defeat to Augsburg last week and that took him to seven goals for the season. He has also made seven assists and, at 30 years of age, has been in the best form of his career over the past two campaigns. Grifo links well with German striker Lucas Holer who has six goals and is another of Freiburg’s well established stars.

Skippered by left back Christian Gunter who has been at Freiburg for over a decade and has made 337 appearances, and with defensive midfielder Nicolas Hofler making 283 appearances for the club this is a team with bags of experience and team spirit; and that makes them a tough opponent to anyone when they hit form.

Streich’s team is perfectly capable of putting together a good run of Bundesliga 2024 results and the Bavarians will be pushed hard on Friday.     

Tuchel needs faith in Kimmich and Goretzka

This is an odd time for Bayern Munich…really odd. They have recently lost three games on the bounce for the first time since 2015, the last occasion at a point when Pep Guardiola’s team had already won the league. The Bundesliga 2024 betting odds have taken Die Bayern out to 5.20 to win the league this time around; and with Bayer Leverkusen recently breaking a German record by going 33 games unbeaten and Xavi Alonso’s team going eight points clear at the top of the table, Tuchel’s team has a mountain to climb. Die Werkself are away to 16^th placed Koln on Sunday and it’s difficult to see the league leaders slipping up there; and now Tuchel needs to look to his own players who he can rely on. Clearly his star striker Harry Kane falls in that category, scoring 29 goals and making eight assists in 30 matches; the England man scored the goals which earned a much needed win over Red Bull last week.

He’s made a huge impact in his first season in the Bundesliga but Kane clearly cannot do it all on his own and Bayern have two hugely experienced and successful midfielders who can help the Barvarians win the key battles. Joshua Kimmich is the perfect all round midfielder, equally supportive of his defence as he is the attacking players; his superb vision and speed of thought are a huge asset, but he was left out of the starting line-up when Bayern lost to Leverkusen recently and I don’t think Tuchel should make that mistake again. 

Equally, 29 year old attacking midfielder, Leon Goretzka has delivered season in, season out, and he is another player who owns how to win titles. With a superb passing range and a fierce shot Goretzka can be a match-winner on his day and he is a tough cookie who can battle it out when times are hard.              

History

Bayern have enjoyed the better of this relationship, winning 36 of the last 50 meetings with Freiburg, losing five and drawing nine and, in the return match early in the season  Bayern won 3-0 as Kingsley Coman scored twice.  

Neither team is in great form; Bayern have won three and lost three of the last six; meanwhile Freiburg have won one, drawn two and lost three…and the Bavarians have lost their last three away games.    

Betting Tip

SC Freiburg are at SBOTOP odds of 5.32 to win this game, with the Draw at 4.35 and the Double Chance is priced at 2.53. A home result is certainly in the frame and, while I think Bayern should edge the game, home advantage and a better mood at their club gives the hosts a real chance.

 

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