Competition: Europa League
Market: Freiburg win
Odds: 3/5 @ 1xBet
Looking to take a giant leap towards punching a famous Europa League knockout stage ticket, Freiburg will welcome Salzburg to Germany on Thursday night.
Starting with the hosts, left frustrated over the weekend as they eventually fell to a 2-1 loss away at Heidenheim, Freiburg will be desperately searching for an immediate response here. Nevertheless, losing just a pair of their previous nine appearances across all competitions, Julian Schuster’s side have also gained plenty of plaudits from across the continent. Already putting 10 points on the board from their first five Europa League showdowns, the German outfit are sat in the driving seat to punch a knockout stage ticket this year. Signing off November with a sensational performance as they cruised their way to a 4-0 romp at home against Mainz, Freiburg have also gained a reputation for their extended dominance on home soil. Including a 2-0 Europa League victory against Utrecht on October 23rd, Schuster’s camp have won all of their previous four consecutive appearances in front of their own supporters by an aggregate score of 10-1. Likewise, Freiburg are unbeaten in all of their last 10 matchups at the Europa-Park Stadion (eight wins, two draws).
As for the visitors, while Salzburg might still be leading the chase at the top of the Bundesliga standings, Thomas Letsch’s men have certainly shown some glaring issues on either side of November’s international break. Despite being last seen over the weekend claiming a welcomed 2-0 victory away at BW Linz, that is the only win that the Austrian giants have claimed from any of their previous five appearances across all competitions. Likewise, putting in a nightmare Europa League performance a fortnight ago as they slumped to a 4-1 drumming at the hands of Italian outfit Bologna, Thursday’s guests are once again installed as a major underdog contender here. Marking their return from November’s international break with an action-packed 3-2 loss at home against Tirol, Salzburg also have a real battle on their hands in the race to get their European charge back on track. In fact, Letch’s inconsistent squad have registered just three points from their first five European showdowns.
Bet: Freiburg 3/5 to beat Red Bull Salzburg in Thursday’s Europa League battle @ 1xBet