Remember months ago when Dortmund lost to Bayern Munich and we all thought “I guess Dortmund will be second place in the Bundesliga once again”? Unfortunately for Borussia Dortmund, the ‘first place loser’s medal’ is now hotly contested. After RB Leipzig’s win against Union Berlin on Saturday, Dortmund enter Sunday’s game against Freiburg with only a two point advantage. Niko Kovac will need his side to snap their two game losing streak and get the job done at home against Freiburg to keep distance from the chasing bulls.
For Dortmund, this game presents a need for professionalism to finish out their remaining campaign with little to play for except pride… and second place. For Freiburg, however, Sunday’s match represents the second match in a key three game spell. On Wednesday, Freiburg fell to VfL Stuttgart in the DFB Pokal and will begin their Europa League semifinals on Thursday against Braga in Portugal. Freiburg currently find themselves outside of the Bundesliga’s European places and may use Sunday’s match as an opportunity to rotate during their season’s climatic push. Regardless of Freiburg’s rotation, Dortmund will be heavily favored here and have no excuses if they fail to win in front of the Yellow Wall.
Player to Watch: Johan Manzambi
20-year-old Swiss midfielder, Johan Manzambi, is having a break out season in the Black Forest. The defensive midfielder has proven himself to be the key man in Freiburg’s midfield on both sides of the ball. He’s responsible for shielding Freiburg’s back four at times but has garnered a reputation for his attacking output. He’s in the 96th percentile or successful dribbles, 95th for duels won, 95th for touches in the opposition box, and 80th for goals scored amongst defensive midfielders. It is no surprise that Manzambi has been linked with Europe’s best teams and most Bundesliga outlets are linking him to Bayern Munich as Leon Goretzka’s replacement. Ultimately, I’m really excited for the Manzambi-Jobe duel in midfield as the two 20-year-olds try to best one another.
Predicted Lineup: 3-4-3
Nothing new for my anticipated lineup this week. Gregor Kobel will be back in goal with Bensebaini replacing an injured Niklas Sule in the defensive line. Schlotterbeck and Anton will return and both be looking to stake their claims to the German National team. Daniel Svensson will play again, because he plays every game, and Julian Ryerson will continue to hold his spot over Yan Couto. Bellingham and Sabitzer will start because the alternative is Salih Ozcan. I expect Julian Brandt to start over Carney Chukwuemeka after Chukwuemeka struggled to make the difference against Hoffenheim. Beier will play behind Serhou Guirassy who looks cleared to play despite a concussion earlier this week.
Your Thoughts
What do you think the score will be? Who are you looking forward to seeing tomorrow? Will will ever hear from Paul Johnson again after his beloved Southampton lost in the FA Cup semi-finals? Let me know below!
