VfB Stuttgart are next up for Christian Streich’s side just three hours after their win over TSG Hoffenheim in the DFB-Pokal which saw them progress to the quarter-final, and SC are looking to build on their performance in midweek. “We played really well,” said Streich, whose team are yet to secure victory in the league in 2022. “We didn’t put in a good performance against Dortmund, and it wasn’t our day. But I don’t want to focus too much on that match, nor the cup tie against Hoffenheim in the week. It’s often key moments which decide football matches. We were very clinical in the DFB-Pokal tie, and a lot of things went right for us. However, the only thing I’m interested in is that we get our first league win on Saturday.”

VfB head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo is also aware of the significance of key moments: “Freiburg are strong, structured and therefore tricky opposition. They’re very good at making chances for themselves quickly after winning back possession. It feels as though they pick the right moments and are very effective in doing so.”

Going into the match in good spirits

It’s been a difficult season for VfB so far. They have picked just 18 points so far in this campaign and find themselves second from bottom, and it’s been over a month since their last Bundesliga win (2-0 in Wolfsburg). They have began 2022 by drawing 0-0 against bottom-placed-side Fürth, and then most recently suffered a 2-0 defeat against RB Leipzig. Despite this, Streich is wary of the threat our upcoming opponents carry: “If you don’t cover enough ground against Stuttgart, you will be punished. Stuttgart put in a very good second-half performance against Leipzig. They’ve got a young side full of good individuals, and they’ve had some bad luck in terms of Corona. Of course, they’re lacking a bit of confidence, but if our performance drops by just two or three percent, they’ll sense that and will look to exploit us.”

Streich, who took charge of his first match as SC head coach ten years ago, is remaining optimistic going into the derby: “I’m looking forward to Saturday’s game, but it’ll be a real battle. We need to make the right decisions in key moments. The team communicated with each other very well against Hoffenheim and were tactically very strong, and we need to replicate that. We want to win at all costs.

The squad is virtually all fit and ready despite it being Freiburg’s third match in eight days. The coaching staff are still waiting to see whether Kevin Schade will be able to feature after he picked up a knock to his foot during the Hoffenheim match. “We’re not yet sure if he’ll be okay, but we’re optimistic that he will.” Things are looking good for Jonathan Schmid, who has been missing recently due to a Corona infection. “He’s able to play and is fit. We’ve currently got three players able to play in that position at the moment.”