SC Freiburg - VfL Bochum

This is maybe the Top-Match of the Round if you take a look at the table but overall it is very early in the season and only 2 Rounds are played. Therefore we have to calm down a bit with out statements and look forward what both teams are able to bring on the pitch today. With Freiburg and Bochum face two teams each other which has won both matches to begin, the only team who has managed this too was Sandhausen. The ambition from Freiburg are clear, they want to get back immediately to 1.Bundesliga after they were relegated last Season. The team from Bochum was also a good team who was close to Bundesliga and so on former days but they had a lot of problems recently and they were in relegation trouble some Seasons now. They want to be solid this Season and maybe look what they are able to get this Season. But first they want to keep it up to walk on.

After Freiburg was relegated it was a big task for them to build a new team as many of their regulars left the club and they have to work with young and unexperienced players. The outcome of the first two matches were good and also the Cup game showed that they are in a position to play for promotion immediately. Coach Streich was also very pleased with his team so far. He is very happy to work with such a good and hungry squad and he sees a lot of potential anyway.
Nevertheless he has to replace some players like Kleindienst and Kübler with injuries and also Mitrovic is out today but he is a candidate who left to club in the next weeks anyway. But compared to the Cup game he has some players ready again. Torrejon, Abrashi and Grifo are back from some injury worries and give the starting lineup much more potential now. For these three mates Föhrenbach, Schuster and Hedenstad must back on bench while Schwolow returns into the goal after Klandt got some match praxis in Cup against Barmbek-Uhlenhorst.

It was a big story in the press some years ago when Streich meet Verbeek who was Coach from Nürnberg and it was a very hard one. Both do not like it other so it is nice to see that both are on the sideline once again. Some ask Verbeek to this story this week but he said that he has not problem to come back here and for him it is gone. He wants to take the focus more on the 90. minutes against Freiburg and his team. He was very confident that his team is able to find some solutions to overcome Freiburg today. The team has improved a lot compared to last Season above all in defensive where they conceded none so far. Up front they are always able with their fast wings to create and finish with top striker Terodde. The team looks very solid this days and they are very creative too.
Bochum wants to start with the same lineup as in Cup against Salmrohr 5-0, the only change is in goal where Luthe returns while Riemann must on bench after getting some match praxis there. It is the same lineup which managed the first 3 wins this Season. Therefore we can expect a very balanced team again.
Under the week they signed striker Mlapa who is not in the squad for this game, also Novikovas and Gündüz are not ready while Weis is almost at 100% now and should be an option later in the game. But he is not the only one in hand, they have with Simunek and Rafael two players ready to help. We can say for every part of the squad they have some good replacements on the bench.

This can be a very close game but Bochum is a team who prefers to play very offensive 4-3-3 what allows Freiburg some space. Maybe the goals can flow a bit here if both are trying to bring their offensive power on the pitch. But the eyes are more on the Coaches today !!!