Freiburg take on the visitors Basel in the round 1 match of UEFA Europa League group stage. The match will be played on Wednesday, September 24th at Europa-Park Stadion (Freiburg).
Freiburg are starting the new season with a different coach. The Brazilians from Breisgau spent a long time under the guidance of Christian Streich, who arrived at the start of the last decade and achieved several notable successes. The 2024/2025 campaign was another milestone, though a controversial one. On the one hand, the team returned to European competitions. On the other, it was only the Europa League, despite spending much of the season among the Bundesliga’s top four. Perhaps missing out on the Champions League spot was the final straw, and Streich stepped down. He was replaced by Julian Schuster, who opened his tenure with a cup win but then suffered two league defeats in August — 1-3 against Augsburg and 1-4 against Köln. The international break seemed to help, though: they beat Stuttgart 3-1 and then struck three past Werder without conceding. Freiburg’s attack looks revitalized, with several young players making an impact in the final third. Defensively, however, consistency remains a concern, as lapses at the back cost them early points.
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Basel were Switzerland’s dominant club in the early 2000s, but later slipped from the summit. Their breakthrough came last season, when they surprisingly completed a domestic double. However, head coach Fabio Celestini departed in the summer, and his successor, Heiko Manzin, endured a shaky start. In the opening round they stumbled against St. Gallen, and in early August they also lost to Lugano. In European qualifying, they fell at the first hurdle against Copenhagen — 0-0 at home and 0-2 in Denmark. More recently, though, they managed to beat Sion and Thun, stabilizing their league form. In the cup, however, they needed penalties to overcome a very modest opponent after a draw in regular time. Basel’s defense has looked far less reliable than during their title run, while their attack still relies heavily on a few key players. If consistency does not improve, they risk falling behind in the Swiss Super League race.
There have been no official matches, though the sides have played seven friendlies since 2009. The record is even, with three wins each. Despite their own issues, Freiburg are playing at home against a weaker opponent. The pick here is for the Germans to secure the victory.
Prediction for the match: Freiburg to win.
