Sabasports Match Preview
Europa League: Freiburg vs Basel
Kickoff Time: 2025-09-25 03:00 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/Heiko Becker
Freiburg is regulars in European competitions, having reached the Europa League round of 16 in the 2023-24 season. This season, they started the league with two consecutive losses. Fortunately, after adjustments during the international break, they achieved two consecutive wins, finally getting back on track. Summer signing center forward Igor Matanovic has become a super-sub for the team, scoring two goals after accumulating just 17 minutes of substitute appearances; another summer signing, forward Derry Scherhant, has also integrated into the team’s tactics and scored in the league. Statistically, Freiburg averages 19.8 successful aerial duels per game, ranking second in the Bundesliga. This shows that once the team gains possession, they often play long balls to the forwards, aiming to win with aerial prowess. Taking Igor Matanovic as an example, his height is 194cm. Another plus for the team is goalkeeper Noah Atubolu. In the last league match, he saved a penalty from the opponent and kept a clean sheet. With this, Atubolu has now saved five consecutive penalties, setting a new Bundesliga record.
Basel was the Swiss Super League champions last season. This season, they started in the Champions League qualifying rounds but unfortunately lost to the Danish champions, FC Copenhagen, and were subsequently relegated to the Europa League. Currently, Basel has a record of four wins and two losses in the league, which is not particularly eye-catching, partly due to injury issues. Among them, the team’s highest-valued forward, Benie Traore, and the fifth-highest-valued central defender, Finn van Breemen, are on the injury list. The biggest star in the Basel squad is arguably Xherdan Shaqiri, formerly of Liverpool, who is the engine for the team’s transitions between attack and defense. He currently has four goals and three assists in the league. However, the 33-year-old Shaqiri has started every match this season, and his fitness is already a concern. Whether he can maintain good form remains unknown. For example, in last weekend’s Swiss Cup, Shaqiri missed a penalty.
The two teams have not previously met in an official match, but their relative strength can be gauged from the total market value of their first-team squads. Freiburg’s total squad value is €151 million, ranking 13th among the 36 Europa League teams; Basel’s total value is €73.8 million, ranking 25th – a difference of about double. With the support of their home fans, the stronger Freiburg side is expected not to miss this chance to take all three points.
Freiburg‘s Last 5 Games: WWLLW
25-09-20 Werder Bremen 0-3 Freiburg
25-09-13 Freiburg 3-1 VfB Stuttgart
25-09-01 FC Cologne 4-1 Freiburg
25-08-23 Freiburg 1-3 Augsburg
25-08-17 Sportfreunde Lotte 0-2 Freiburg
Basel’s Last 5 Games: WWLDL
25-09-14 Thun 1-3 Basel
25-08-31 Sion 0-1 Basel
25-08-28 FC Copenhagen 2-0 Basel
25-08-21 Basel 1-1 FC Copenhagen
25-08-10 Lugano 3-1 Basel
Head-To-Head Record
None
Prediction: Freiburg to win