2-2 vs. Gladbach, 2-0 vs. Bielefeld, 4-1 vs. Hertha, 5-0 vs. Köln, 2-2 vs. Frankfurt and 2-0 vs. Stuttgart: fans of SC Freiburg can certainly be satisfied with their side's recent run of results at home. The same cannot be said for SCF's record against their upcoming opponents. It's been ten years since Freiburg last won a game against Borussia Dortmund - something the club will be looking to change this weekend. "We need to see how we can make that happen and how we will approach this game," Christian Streich said during a pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon. "We need to be better than we were against Wolfsburg."

SCF fell to a 3-0 defeat against Wolfsburg last Sunday. "We had some good chances against Wolfsburg but weren't able to get a foot into the game. We lacked precision in our game," Streich said, four days after the game and following several intense video sessions. He added that in several moments, "We were one, two, three steps too late. And then, after the game, it looks as if we played well but didn't have any chances. That frustrated us."

However, Freiburg are still well-positioned in the table and currently sit in ninth. Dortmund's 32 points have them sitting in sixth, well below their expectations, heading into this weekend's match-up between the sides.

"They may not be as stable, to the point where they win nine out of 10 games and are top of the table. However, they still have a really good squad. We will need to be at our best in order to stand up to Dortmund," said Streich. A key player for Edin Terzic's BVB is striker Erling Haaland, who can influence the outcome of a game. "It makes it difficult, but at the same time it's an exciting challenge," Streich said.

SC Freiburg will be able to call upon the same players as they did last weekend in Wolfsburg. Whether or not Streich will make any changes to his starting XI remains to be seen, although it's highly likely given the shortened week of training the team will have behind them. In the end, the key will be to "Play to our absolute limit," Streich said. "Then, we will have a chance."

Sina Ojo

Foto: Bernd Thissen