Kick off against the side from the capital is at 15:30 CET on Saturday, with the match to be played behind closed doors due to the pandemic restrictions imposed by the State of Baden-Württemburg.

Last weekend’s 0-0 draw against SV Werder Bremen was hardly a spectacle for neutral fans, but the draw in the north did mean that SC Freiburg added another point to the tally for the 2020/21 season. Coach Christian Streich’s team currently sit in eighth place in the Bundesliga table having picked up 31 points from 21 games so far. Saturday’s game gives Sport-Club the chance to widen the gap with the relegation places.

“I’m keen to see what kind of game this will be,” said Christian Streich on Thursday’s digital pre-match press conference as he looked ahead to the clash. With a total of 30 points, coach Urs Fischer’s side sit just one place below the Sport-Club and have attracted attention with several eye-catching results this season. Union have recorded victories over Dortmund and Leverkusen as well as holding FC Bayern, Wolfsburg, and Borussia Mönchengladbach to draws.

“They have a lot of pace up front with Taiwo Awoniyi and are also dangerous from midfield because of the shooting quality that Christian Gentner and Robert Andrich have. In addition to that, they have perhaps one of the best right-backs in the Bundesliga in Christopher Trimmel,” warned SC’s coach. Alongside that, Streich spoke about Union’s “strength in arial duels, strong set-piece play, physicality, and footballing quality”. When asked about the Berliners development over the last three years, the coach described it as spectacular: “Union have a team that is full of desire and commitment, and they always show a great attitude in the way that they approach every game. There are a lot of similarities to us in the way that both team have consistently improved.”

Christian Streich does not see the Berliner’s most recent result - a 0-0 draw to struggling Schalke - or the fact that Urs Fischer’s team are yet to pick up a win in the Rückrunde so far as any indication of an easier game on Saturday. “I’m positive that they will be keener than ever to get something from the game. We have to be prepared for what’s coming and give it our all right from the first minute. We have to counter all the things that make them such a strong team, which means making runs from deep at the right moments, crossing the ball well, and making sure we open up space for ourselves with good runs.”

In terms of squad news, Christian Streich has more options for Saturday’s squad again. Roland Sallai and centre-back Keven Schlotterbeck trained with the ball at their feet again during the week for the first time since their respective injuries. Union could see ex-Freiburg player Max Kruse and Nico Schlotterbeck return for the weekend’s action after Kruse’s recovery from injury and Schlotterbeck served a suspension. “I’m looking forward to welcoming both of them back,” said Streich. “It’s always nice to be reunited with players with whom you’ve worked with before.”

Photo: Annegret Hilse