Borussia Monchengladbach vs SC Freiburg
SC Freiburg can get back into the top four and maybe even into the Bundesliga title conversation when they visit Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia-Park for one of the marquee German top-flight matches this weekend.
When these two teams met last September, they had to settle for a point. However, much has changed since then.
The visitors are well on their way to making it back to European football, placing fifth in the table with 41 points, which is only five away from league leaders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, their hosts are clinging to the 10th spot with only 29 points.
But despite the gap between them, the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds predict a tight affair for these two proud sides.
Talking Points
Injuries mounting for Gladbach
The Foals have had a mixed bag of Bundesliga 2023 results, and it doesn’t help that their injury list has grown these past few days.
As they began their preparations for the coming game against SC Freiburg, Borussia Monchengladbach had to train without any of their four first-team goalkeepers, which is clearly not a great sign.
First-choice goalkeeper Jonas Omlin has been holding it down since Yann Sommer left for Bayern Munich last January, and he didn’t train due to a thigh injury, while Jan Olschowsky (thumb), Tobias Sippel (unspecified), and Max Brull (thigh) were all out as well.
Daniel Farke is sweating on their fitness, and if neither of them is available to play, then he’ll have to choose between academy goalkeepers Ben Zich and Pereira Cardoso to man the sticks.
Marcus Thuram, who is anticipated to leave the club on a free transfer this summer, has yet to recapture his excellent form before the World Cup break.
The Frenchman hasn’t started in their last two games since he has a calf knock, and Alassane Plea will continue to lead the line for the Foals on Saturday. Plea only has two goals so far this season, but he has been great at linking up play with eight assists.
Jonas Hofmann and Lars Stindl will also play key roles in this match. Hofmann has recorded eight goals and seven assists, while Stindl has five goals and six assists.
Hectic month for SC Freiburg
March figures to be a busy time for SC Freiburg because they’re currently competing on three fronts: the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Europa League.
After this encounter against Borussia Monchengladbach, they will face Juventus for the first leg of their Round of 16 Europa League tie the following Thursday, with the second leg set for the following week. Then, in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal, they have a crucial match against Bayern Munich.
SC Freiburg believe that they can win all of their upcoming fixtures because their main protagonists are in great form. This season, Vincenzo Grifo and Michael Gregoritsch have each scored double digit goals with 14 and 11, respectively, and they have combined for eight assists.
History
SC Freiburg’s last visit to Borussia-Park was a memorable one, as they beat them with a scoreline of 6-0. That win in December 2021 ended a run of 17 away games without a victory against them.
After that result, SC Freiburg and Borussia Monchengladbach had back-to-back draws with an aggregate tally of 3-3.
The Black Forest have scored more German top-flight goals against the Foals than any other side (64), and they’ve picked up the second-most German top-flight points against them (57).
41 points after 22 matchdays is the best tally SC Freiburg have ever had at this stage of a Bundesliga campaign.
The Foals love to host a big-name guest this season, as they’ve already beaten RB Leipzig (3-0), Borussia Dortmund (4-2), and most recently Bayern Munich (3-2). Borussia Monchengladbach have the seventh-best home record this season, claiming 22 points.
Betting Tip
The Bundesliga 2023 odds have given the hosts the edge for this upcoming contest, although it’s not that big. Borussia Monchengladbach were installed to win at 2.44, while SC Freiburg were priced at 2.70, and a draw is at 3.15 in the 1X2 market.
Borussia Monchengladbach haven’t defeated SC Freiburg since April 2021, and they’ve been in subpar form recently, so it would be difficult to see them winning this one. SC Freiburg should pick up three points, but they will win this game narrowly.
A replay of their last encounter (Correct Score of 0-0) at 12.50 is unlikely, but you may consider going for Under 3.00 at 1.64 as an alternative bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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