Freiburg seek their first top-flight victory at the Europa-Park-Stadion since January when they welcome Heidenheim in Bundesliga's gameweek 33 action on Saturday.
The penultimate fixture is Christian Streich's final home game in charge of the club, and he seeks triumph against the only top-flight club his Breisgau Brazilians have failed to beat in over 11 years.
Match preview
If Freiburg miss out on continental qualification next season, they will blame their drop-off in results in front of their supporters since the turn of the year.
Streich announcing his departure from the club in March has not inspired a turnaround in results at the Mooswaldstadion, with the Breisgau Brazilians losing to RB Leipzig (4-1) and Wolfsburg (2-1) and drawing against Mainz (1-1) in the three home fixtures since.
They hope to end that awful sequence of underwhelming results in the outgoing manager's penultimate game in charge of the club, ending a seven-match streak without a home triumph.
Freiburg have much to play for in the concluding gameweeks of 2023-24 as they are yet to secure continental qualification. While Streich's men currently occupy the Conference League qualification spot, the seventh-placed side (41 points) have Hoffenheim (40), Augsburg (39), Heidenheim and Werder Bremen (both 38) and Wolfsburg (37) still in with a shout of supplanting them in the table.
Eighth place will suffice if Bayer Leverkusen win the DFB-Pokal final, giving the side in seventh a Europa League place, even if Freiburg will leave nothing to chance as they hope to control their fate heading into the concluding gameweek against relegation-threatened Union Berlin.
Heidenheim aim to be party poopers in Streich's final game in Baden-Wurttemberg, having secured top-flight status for another season with last weekend's point against Mainz.
With that 1-1 draw, the 05ers cannot catch Frank Schmidt's men, who have understandably dropped off in the second half of the campaign — winning three after securing six victories in their first 17 Bundesliga fixtures.
Picking four points from the last six and the wobbles of the clubs above them mean Heidenheim can still secure a European spot in their first-ever Bundesliga season, exciting supporters who hope their side ends the debut campaign strongly.
Schmidt's side are undefeated in three Bundesliga away games, securing a creditable point at Stuttgart (3-3), drawing at Bochum (1-1) and nicking a marginal 1-0 win at relegated Darmstadt.
Beating the league's cellar-dwellers was the club's third road triumph in 16 games (seven losses), underscoring this weekend's uphill battle despite Freiburg's struggles on home soil.
Team News
Kiliann Sildillia is still banned after receiving a straight red in Freiburg's loss to Wolfsburg in round 31 but Nicolas Hofler returns from suspension.
Matthias Ginter (Achilles), Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (knee), Philipp Lienhart (knee), Merlin Rohl (thigh) and Kenneth Schmidt (abdominal) are all missing because of injury.
Tim Kleindienst was booked for the fifth time in last week's draw against Mainz, thus ruling out the 12-goal Heidenheim man against Freiburg.
Lennard Maloney is doubtful due to a shoulder injury, but Thomas Keller (knee), Elidon Qenaj (knee) and Marnon Busch (knee) are expected to be absent on Saturday.
Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Atubolu; Kubler, Keitel, Gulde; Doan, Eggestein, Hofler, Gunter; Holer, Grifo; Gregoritsch
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Schoppner; Dinkci, Sessa, Beste; Dovedan, Pieringer
We say: Freiburg 1-1 Heidenheim
While Heidenheim could overtake Freiburg with a win this weekend, the spoils could be shared at the Europa-Park-Stadion, with Schmidt's men continuing a decent road run that has seen them lose once in nine away games. Five of those nine matches have been tied, and another draw could be in the offing on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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