Holstein Kiel vs Freiburg

Holstein-Stadion is the venue as Holstein Kiel and Freiburg go head-to-head in a ‘make or break’ Bundesliga showdown.

There are only two games left for Holstein Kiel to claw out of the bottom two, yet they’ve responded to that pressure kindly, posting back-to-back league wins for the first time whilst netting seven goals. Notably, that’s as many triumphs as they had accumulated in the 15 rounds beforehand (W2, D5, L8), yet a defeat here, coupled with Heidenheim’s potential win, would seal their relegation with a game to spare. Anyway, Kiel’s only way to secure top-flight survival is via the relegation playoffs. Back to the home comforts of their Holstein-Stadion, the hosts can draw heart from collecting four out of their six seasonal Bundesliga wins on this ground. However, they’ve stuttered against the division’s big guns, conceding 2+ goals in all eight home matches against such rivals (W2, l6).

In the meantime, visiting Freiburg could make history by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time as they head into the penultimate round in fourth, albeit only a point clear of fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund. A win here would guarantee European qualification for Julian Schuster’s side and cement his legacy in his first year in charge. Much credit goes to Freiburg’s dominant performances against Bundesliga strugglers, as they’ve only dropped two points against the bottom four (W6, D1), including an intense 3-2 win in the reverse fixture. Furthermore, the visitors have hit a purple patch on the road, going unbeaten across their last six away league games (W4, D2) while keeping four clean sheets.