Freiburg (dpa / lsw) – Even after Borussia Dortmund’s arduous DFB Cup win against second division SC Paderborn and recently only rarely convincing Bundesliga appearances, coach Christian Streich still sees BVB as an absolute top team. “Even if they don’t win nine out of ten games, they are still a very well-staffed team,” said Streich two days before SC Freiburg’s home game against the Champions League participant on Saturday (3:30 pm / Sky). His team expects a very difficult game.
After separating from Lucien Favre in mid-December, not much has changed under the new BVB coach Edin Terzic. “It wasn’t all thrown upside down and the players are the same,” said the SC coach. “For years Dortmund have had a style that is shaped by certain players.”
At the moment it is mainly Erling Haaland, the third best goalscorer and fourth best scorer in the league. “He’s a great player, has an enormous physical presence, power and quality,” said Streich. “If he’s there, play another game.” Defending against the Norwegian international striker requires “extremely quick action and good decisions”. Since there is nothing to prevent Haaland from playing in the BVB starting line-up, Streich sees an “attractive task” coming up on the bottom of the table: “Defending Haaland and everyone around it.”
The sports club must keep the Dortmund offensive in check if it wants to end its negative series against BVB. Freiburg have not won against Dortmund in 19 games, so Streich has never succeeded. This makes the runner-up the only Bundesliga club against whom the 55-year-old has never won. However, the Westphalia against Paderborn only reached the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup after a 3-2 after extra time and are currently only sixth after three wins from the last six Bundesliga games.
Streich didn’t want to dwell on these statistics. The clear Freiburg 3-0 defeat at VfL Wolfsburg last Sunday had an effect on him. “We had no small chances, but we missed the last pass behind the chain,” he explained. “You have to act better against such a top opponent.”
He basically trusts his team to do that – even against Dortmund and without the injured offensive forces Roland Sallai (torn ligament in the ankle) and Chang-hun Kwon (injury to the head of the fibula). But she only “has a chance if we play at the absolute limit”. Then he thinks his first win as a coach against BVB is possible.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210204-99-302862 / 3
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