Will SCF win their second Baden-Württemberg clash this week?
On Wednesday evening, SC Freiburg won 4-1 away at TSG Hoffenheim in the round of 16 of the DFB Pokal, thus advancing to the quarter-finals, where they are currently the Bundesliga team with the best points tally after 1. FC Union Berlin. The title chances of Christian Streich’s side are correspondingly valid, and they would now like to carry the momentum of this victory into league play.
The SCF will now receive a guest from Swabia who are in poor form and have slipped to a direct relegation place after only one of twelve possible points from the last four league games. In the run-up to the Baden-Württemberg clash between Freiburg and VfB Stuttgart, the odds are clearly in favour of the hosts.
It should be noted, however, that the Swabians are playing a kind of favourite opponent. Of all the Bundesliga teams that VfB have played away from home at least ten times in the Bundesliga, Stuttgart have such a high win rate against nobody else as against Sport-Club (42%).
Nevertheless, the momentum is clearly against the White-Red, which is why we favour betting on a home win for Christian Streich’s selection in Freiburg v VfB Stuttgart.
Freiburg – Statistics & current form
SC Freiburg got off to an outstanding start to the 2021/22 season. The Black Forest side made their first appearance in the top third of the table as early as matchday two, and they have not let themselves be ousted from it so far.
After eleven of the 19 match days so far, the Sport-Club even had a direct place in the UEFA Champions League and could dream of great European nights in the course of their high flight. It is only in recent weeks that Christian Streich’s ensemble has lost its way somewhat.
For the first time in seven years in the DFB Cup quarter-finals
Losing a total of five of their last nine league games (two wins, two draws), however, has still not resulted in SCF leaving the European ranks. Even after the crushing 1:5 away defeat at Borussia Dortmund, the Black Forest side remained sixth in the table.
This hefty defeat, in which Freiburg conceded five goals in league play for the first time since April 2019, did not slow down the momentum of the players from the Breisgau. During the week, Christian Streich’s men once again showed their best side in a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim in the DFB Pokal.
Still the third best defence in the Bundesliga
The SCF can also go into the next Baden-Württemberg duel within four days with the same self-confidence, even though the Swabians are a bit of a fearsome opponent at the Europa-Park-Stadion. However, the Black Forest side has won the last three league games in a row against the Red and Whites.
The odds are correspondingly in favour of the next home win for Freiburg against VfB Stuttgart, who, despite conceding five goals in Dortmund last Friday, still have the third-best defence in the league with a total of only 23 goals conceded.
Predicted Freiburg line-up:
Flekken – Günter – Schlotterbeck – Lienhart – Kübler – Höfler – Eggestein – Grifo – Höler – Schade – Demirovic
Last matches played by Freiburg:
DFB Cup
01/19 2022 – Hoffenheim 1 – 4 SC Freiburg
1st Bundesliga
01/14 2022 – Borussia Dortmund 5 – 1 SC Freiburg
01/08 2022 – SC Freiburg 2 – 2 Arminia Bielefeld
12/19 2021 – SC Freiburg 2 – 1 Bayer Leverkusen
12/15 2021 – Union Berlin 0 – 0 SC Freiburg
VfB Stuttgart – Statistics & current form
VfB Stuttgart were last relegated from the Bundesliga in 2017 and 2020. Although the five-time German champions returned to the Beletage of German football at the end of each subsequent season, finishing their first year in a single-digit place in the table
Have now gone 387 minutes without scoring a goal
The reason for the recent slump, in which none of the last four league games could be won with 0:8 goals and only one of twelve possible points was achieved, is the offensive lack of goals.
The Swabians have not scored a goal in the Bundesliga for 387 minutes. At the same time, 55 consecutive shots have not resulted in another goal. That’s why this away trip to the Black Forest, where VfB face the third-best defence in the league, is correspondingly complicated.
The fewest away goals in the Bundesliga
Again, the five-time German champions will have to make do with the underdog role in this Baden-Württemberg duel.
In league action in the 2021/22 season, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men won just one of their nine visiting matches in the Bundesliga, scoring just six goals away from home. No other Bundesliga team remained as unthreatening away from home as VfB.
Predicted line-up of VfB Stuttgart:
Müller – Sosa – Ito – Anton – Mavropanos – Karazor – Mangala – Endo – Silas – Führich – Kalajdzic
Last matches played by VfB Stuttgart:
1st Bundesliga
01/15 2022 – VfB Stuttgart 0 – 2 RB Leipzig
01/08 2022 – Greuther Fürth 0 – 0 VfB Stuttgart
12/19 2021 – 1. FC Köln 1 – 0 VfB Stuttgart
12/14 2021 – VfB Stuttgart 0 – 5 Bayern Munich
12/11 2021 – Vfl Wolfsburg 0 – 2 VfB Stuttgart
Freiburg – VfB Stuttgart Direct comparison / H2H-Balance
Head to head: 14 – 5 – 25
This Baden-Wuerttemberg clash has already taken place a total of 44 times and VfB leads the direct comparison with 25 victories. Most recently, however, there have been three defeats in a row in league play for the Swabians, who also lost the first leg at home on 28 August 2021 with 2:3.
Freiburg – VfB Stuttgart Tip
For Freiburg against VfB Stuttgart, the prediction clearly goes in the direction of the home side, who have lost five of their last nine league games but showed their best side again, especially during the week in the cup against in-form Hoffenheim. Meanwhile, the strong defence of the Sport-Clubs also speaks for a home victory in the Baden-Württemberg duel. Moreover, no other Bundesliga team has scored fewer away goals than the Swabians so far.
In view of the fact that the SCF have won three league games in a row against the Swabians, we think everything speaks for a home win for the Black Forest side.
