Leverkusen vs Freiburg: A Matchweek 6 Clash With Real Stakes

SC Freiburg have scored 18 goals in their last six Bundesliga matches. Let that sink in for a second. They've won five of those six, drawn one, and conceded just five goals across the entire run. They are absolutely flying right now, and they're walking into Bayer Leverkusen's ground on Sunday with the kind of momentum that makes you feel genuinely sorry for whoever is standing in their way.

The numbers behind both sides heading into this matchweek 6 encounter tell a pretty clear story. Leverkusen have recorded three wins, a draw and a loss in their last five, scoring 14 and leaking eight — which sounds decent until you remember a 3-4 thriller at Mainz is baked into that run alongside a 2-2 draw at Augsburg. The 2-0 home win over RB Leipzig is the form reference they'd rather point to, and fair enough, but this is a different challenge altogether. Freiburg have put five past Borussia Mönchengladbach and held Eintracht Frankfurt to a 2-2 draw on the road, and their 14 goals conceded in just four goals against gives them a goal difference of plus ten. Leverkusen sit at plus six from their five matches. The contrast in defensive solidity is stark.

Here's the thing — Leverkusen's injury list is genuinely brutal right now. Eight players unavailable, including V. Boniface and J. Hofmann, both out with eligibility issues until late January. Christian Kofane, who managed a goal in just 35 minutes of Bundesliga football this season, is also sidelined with a hamstring injury. E. Ben Seghir is out with a muscle problem. M. Terrier and K. Eichhorn add to the headache. That's your attack and midfield depth absolutely hollowed out. P. Schick leads the line with one goal to his name so far, and I. Maza — who contributed a goal assist and four key passes in his only appearance — is himself listed as unavailable, which strips away one of the more creative options in the squad. Freiburg are also missing a few, including Y. Suzuki who serves a suspension. He's been the Bundesliga's second-highest scorer this season with three goals in just one appearance, so that's no small absence. But D. Scherhant and J. Beste are also out, which thins their wide options. Even so, I. Matanović contributed a goal and an assist in his 73 minutes of Bundesliga football, and M. Ginter has been quietly excellent with three key passes and an assist from centre-back. Their squad depth still looks superior to what Leverkusen can field here.

Freiburg's 13 points from five matches, built on a W-W-W-D-W run, represents one of the more compelling cases in the Bundesliga right now. This is a side that doesn't do flukes. They defend as a unit, they press intelligently, and they have multiple contributors across the pitch — not just one top scorer carrying the load. Leverkusen will rely heavily on M. Flekken in goal, who made three saves in his one outing this season, and E. Tapsoba and L. Badé to hold the defensive line together. But with the attacking options this depleted, it's hard to see where the goals come from. Freiburg take this one.

Clubs in this story

SC Freiburg Bayer 04 Leverkusen Borussia Mönchengladbach Eintracht Frankfurt Bayer Leverkusen RB Leipzig