Freiburg still have five matches ahead of them before the winter break. The fixture list reads Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, Friday and Saturday to close out the year, with the only match in the traditional Saturday afternoon slot timetabled for this weekend. At the same time, the game will serve as the first at home for nearly a month, while also providing SC the chance to put the resounding defeat in Dortmund a week ago behind them.

“When it’s all going well and you’re winning then you get into a rhythm and the smaller details become smoother. Defeats can help to reclaim some focus while also making you work harder on the basics, meaning your play becomes sharper. That’s what we’ve worked on this week, with particular focus on the things we want to consolidate,” said SC head coach Julian Schuster on Thursday with regard to the work of the coaching staff.

Focus on the basics was also high on the agenda in this week’s training following the steady flow of goals last weekend. “The one positive takeaway is that we create chances. Without that, we would have needed a different focus for this week. We tried to give the lads the chance to feel more certain about themselves when it comes to play in and around goal,” explained Schuster.

One of the players capable of providing final-third threat is Merlin Röhl. The 22-year-old has been back in training for the past week and is a possibility to make the squad on Saturday. Eren Dinkci continues to train individually and his inclusion remains extremely unlikely. Patrick Osterhage and Junior Adamu will also both miss the game due to suspension. 

SC will once again have the backing of the home crowd for this one, though. The support from a sold-out Europa-Park Stadion could be crucial in providing with the team with an extra boost as they take on an in-form side. “It will be a great challenge, facing an opponent on a good run right now,” Schuster told, adding, “We need to be full of energy for this game against Mönchengladbach.”

Photo: Achim Keller