Cologne –
Amazing things are happening again in Breisgau. The 3-1 win at TSG Hoffenheim was the fourth consecutive league win for SC Freiburg. The last time the sports club had so many successes was in 2001 under its club icon Volker Finke.
This makes him the best-form team in the Bundesliga and an opponent who shouldn’t really come in handy for 1. FC Köln on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) in the Black Forest Stadium. “We are in a good mood at the moment. FC will know that it won’t be easy against us, ”said central defender Dominique Heintz in an interview on the billy goat website, for whom the 27-year-old played from 2015 to 2018.
A month ago hardly anyone would have expected the Freiburg soaring. Although they are used to losing their best people at the sports club, after just one win and eight points from ten games it seemed as if the loss of quality due to the departure of national players Luca Waldschmidt (Benfica Lisbon) and Robin Koch (Leeds United) as well as regular goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow (Hertha BSC Berlin) too big this time. But coach Christian Streich taught the Bundesliga wrong, as has so often been the case. After a certain start-up time, his team has clearly stabilized and worked towards the secure midfield.
Dominique Heintz is sitting on the bench
The Freiburg record transfer Baptiste Santamaria (the defensive midfielder came for ten million euros from SCO Angers from Ligue 1), storm access Ermedin Demirovic (Deportivo Alavés), returnee Keven Schlotterbeck (1. FC Union Berlin) and the new number one Florian Müller (FSV Mainz 05) are now important pillars.
“We have quality and are a disgusting team that really sticks together,” said Dominique Heintz. He himself fell victim to the weak start to the season in Freiburg and has only been on the bench for five league games. “The coach has made changes and if things go well there is no reason to change anything. The most important thing is that we as a club are successful and get points. “
While the Breisgauers can look forward to the home game against Cologne with some calm, FC is under increased pressure after the failed start to the year against Augsburg (0: 1). Horst Heldt calls for a clear increase: “Individually, we had too many players who couldn’t get their 100 percent. We have to question why that was the case, ”said the sports director, whose team had been offensive again in the beginning of the trend-setting January.
Involve Marius Wolf more in the offensive game?
As long as the table fifteenth cannot become active on the winter transfer market, coach Markus Gisdol only has the option of tweaking the screws of his existing squad. “These are questions that we are dealing with intensively,” reported Heldt. One solution could be to involve Dortmund loaner Marius Wolf more in the offensive game. The all-rounder, whose strengths lie ahead in the game, has to regularly help out in the right-back position.
The alternatives are rare there: Benno Schmitz had to struggle for a long time with the consequences of an ankle injury he suffered in September, and Kingsley Ehizibue has apparently gambled away his credit. The recently barely considered Dutchman (contract until 2023) is said to be one of those players for whom FC would not put any obstacles in the way.
For Heldt it is a process of weighing up: “Marius has his qualities to the front. On the other hand, he brought us stability when we played out on the right, ”said the 51-year-old, who did not rule out Wolf’s preference:“ We always think about where we can use Marius profitably. If it makes sense to put it somewhere else, we will do that. “Wolf himself was diplomatic:” I’m coming from the offensive. But if the coach puts me in the back of five or four, then of course I’ll play there. I try to help the team there and do my best wherever I am placed. “
Jakobs is back in training
Ismail Jakobs is back in team training at 1. FC Köln. The left wing was out against FC Augsburg due to a flu-like infection. Marvin Obuz will meanwhile join the training of the FC professionals from Wednesday.
The 18-year-old self-grown had recently recommended himself through strong performances in the regional league team. After Jan Thielmann and Tim Lemperle, Obuz is already the third Cologne U17 champion from 2019 to be promoted to the Bundesliga team. There, the junior international could become Jakob’s new Spannmann on the left wing. (cto)
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