The Matchday 1 Bundesliga clash between Freiburg and Augsburg will take place on August 23 at the Europa-Park Stadion. Freiburg vs. Augsburg: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Freiburg
Last season, the team finished in a commendable fifth place, matching their best Bundesliga result in the 21st century. Freiburg accumulated 55 points, just two shy of the Champions League zone. However, the club ended the league season with a negative goal difference (-4), the worst among the top 10 teams in the table. Over the summer, Freiburg played four friendly matches, remaining unbeaten (2 wins, 2 draws).
During the off-season, the club acquired defender Philipp Treu, midfielder Yuito Suzuki, and forwards Igor Matanovic and Ciriac Irie. Departures included defender Kiliann Sildillia and midfielder Ritsu Doan.
- The team has not won 5 of their last 6 home matches in the Bundesliga (2 draws, 3 losses).
- The club has conceded at least two goals in five previous home league encounters.
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of Freiburg's last 7 Bundesliga home games.
Predicted lineup for Freiburg (4-5-1)
Noah Atubolu – Christian Günter, Philipp Lienhart, Matthias Ginter, Lukas Kübler – Vincenzo Grifo, Patrick Osterhage, Lucas Höler, Maximilian Eggestein, Eren Dinkci – Igor Matanovic.
Defenders Max Rosenfelder and Philipp Treu will miss the game due to injuries.
Augsburg
In the last Bundesliga season, the club collected 43 points, finishing in 12th position. Augsburg had a disappointing end to the season, suffering defeats in the last four rounds. Notably, in the previous ten Bundesliga seasons, the team has never finished higher than 11th in the table. Last season, the club had a low scoring record, netting only 35 goals, surpassing only Bochum (33) and St. Pauli (28). During the off-season, Augsburg played nine friendly matches, securing five wins (1 draw, 3 losses).
In the summer transfer window, the club added defender Cedric Zesiger and midfielder An-Noah Massengo. Notable departures included midfielder Fredrik Jensen. Additionally, the team will be led by a new head coach, Sandro Wagner.
- The club has not lost in 8 of their last 10 away Bundesliga matches (5 wins, 3 draws).
- Exactly 2 or 3 goals have been scored in 7 of the team's last 10 away league games.
- Augsburg has not conceded more than one goal in 8 of their last 10 away Bundesliga matches.
Predicted lineup for Augsburg (3-4-3)
Finn Dahmen – Keven Schlotterbeck, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Chrislain Matsima – Dimitris Giannoulis, An-Noah Massengo, Kristijan Jakic, Marius Wolf – Alexis Claude-Maurice, Phillip Tietz, Mert Kemuhr.
Forward Samuel Essende is suspended for four matches.
Referee
Felix Zwayer (Germany)
Matches – 17 (Bundesliga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 68;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 19;
Penalties – 29%.
Freiburg vs. Augsburg: Match Prediction
Julian Schuster's side saw a dip in home form towards the end of last season: Freiburg managed just one win in their last six home Bundesliga matches (2 draws, 3 losses). Moreover, the team's attacking efficiency declined: in their last nine home league games, they only surpassed the one-goal mark three times.
Augsburg also struggles with scoring, particularly in away games. In 6 of their last 8 Bundesliga away matches, the team scored more than once only twice, and in three games during this period, they failed to score altogether. However, the club's defense has been relatively reliable: in 8 of their last 10 away league matches, Augsburg conceded a maximum of one goal, keeping a clean sheet in five of those games.
I do not expect a high-scoring game from the teams, and my prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
