Leverkusen v Freiburg: Top-Four Rivals Fight for Position
Third-placed Freiburg and fourth-placed Leverkusen meet on Sunday with the top of the Bundesliga table on the line. Whoever wins could open a clear gap over the chasing pack.
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Confirmed lineups
Bayer Leverkusen · 4-2-3-1
- 1M. FlekkenG
- 4J. QuansahD
- 12E. TapsobaD
- 2F. MedinaD
- 3Miguel GutiérrezD
- 24Aleix GarcíaM
- 6E. FernándezM
- 30I. MazaM
- 19M. DiabyF
- 9Afonso MoreiraF
- 14P. SchickF
Coach: Carles Martínez
SC Freiburg · 4-2-3-1
- 1M. BackhausG
- 29P. TreuD
- 28M. GinterD
- 3P. LienhartD
- 33J. MakengoD
- 19J. BesteD
- 8M. EggesteinM
- 16Y. EngelhardtM
- 42K. GotoF
- 7D. ScherhantF
- 31I. MatanovićF
Coach: J. Schuster
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| Scored | Conceded | |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2.8 | 1.6 |
| SC Freiburg | 2.8 | 0.8 |
League position
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | SC Freiburg | 5 | +10 | 13 |
| 4 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 | +6 | 10 |
Last meetings
- 2026SC Freiburg3-3Bayer Leverkusen
- 2025Bayer Leverkusen2-0SC Freiburg
- 2025SC Freiburg2-2Bayer Leverkusen
- 2024Bayer Leverkusen5-1SC Freiburg
- 2024SC Freiburg2-3Bayer Leverkusen
Absences
Bayer Leverkusen
- OutE. Ben Seghir · Muscle Injury
- OutG. Doue · Calf Injury
- OutK. Eichhorn · Illness
- OutC. Kofane · Muscle Injury
- OutM. Terrier · Muscle Injury
- DoubtfulM. Culbreath · Foot Injury
SC Freiburg
- OutY. Suzuki · Red Card
- DoubtfulB. Yilmaz · Lacking Match Fitness
Two top-four sides, one table to shape
Sunday’s meeting pits SC Freiburg against Bayer Leverkusen, and with only three points separating them, the winner could take a firm step towards the top of the Bundesliga. Freiburg sit third on 13 points after five rounds, while Leverkusen are fourth on 10. Freiburg also hold the better goal difference, +10 to +6, which suggests they have been the more ruthless side so far.
Freiburg’s unbeaten start
Freiburg arrive with a W-D-W-W-W run in the league and have not lost a match this season, collecting four wins and a draw. They have scored 14 goals and conceded just four, and their away record is solid: one win and one draw on the road, with three goals scored and two conceded.
Leverkusen’s home base
Leverkusen have won their last two home games in the league and have not conceded at home this season, keeping two clean sheets overall. Their recent scoring has been strong, with 14 goals in their last five matches, but they have also let in eight in that span, more than twice Freiburg’s total over the same period.
Head-to-head
This fixture has been close and expensive for both sides. Leverkusen have won three of the last five meetings and drawn two, and Freiburg have not won any of them. The most recent clash, in March, ended 3-3 in Freiburg, and Leverkusen’s 5-1 win in December 2024 remains their biggest margin of victory in that run. Across those five games, Leverkusen have scored 15 goals to Freiburg’s eight.
Injury headaches in Leverkusen
Leverkusen will be missing several players. E. Ben Seghir, G. Doue, C. Kofane and M. Terrier are all out with injury, and K. Eichhorn is unavailable through illness. M. Culbreath is a doubt with a foot problem. Freiburg are without Y. Suzuki, who is suspended after a red card, and B. Yilmaz is a doubt through lack of match fitness.
Our prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 SC Freiburg
Leverkusen’s home record and recent attacking output give them the edge on paper, but their absences and a leaky recent defence make this hard to call. Freiburg have been the most consistent side in the league this season, and the last meeting showed they can score freely at this fixture. We expect goals at both ends and a share of the points.

