Highlights
B. Cortus
90'
+ 4
BLACK FOREST DELIGHT
Freiburg will spend new year in third place!
Full-time
90'
+ 1
Substitution
90'
ADDED TIME
Three minutes added on at the end of this game.
90'
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
88'
PAULINHO...
The Brazilian shows quick feet in the box as he tries to find some space on the left before Lienhart comes across to clear for a corner. That delivery is then headed away.
87'
Substitution
87'
Substitution
84'
SCHADE!
Have Freiburg just won it? Demirovic peels out wide on the right, is found, takes a touch and swings in the cross to the front post, where Schade gets across his man and toes it past Hradecky at his near post.
83'
INCHES AWAY!
Great chance for Leverkusen to maybe snatch this. Frimpong flying up the right delivers the cross around the back. Alario is bursting through the middle and throws a leg at it, but is just a few inches short of making contact.
82'
ONLY YELLOW
Schade was trying to race through the middle on the counter. Kossounou goes for the slide and only catches the man. Far enough out and with defenders tracking back to only be a yellow.
80'
Substitution
80'
Substitution
80'
Substitution
76'
DOUBLE CHANGE
There will be no Schick goal today - in fact he had just one shot all game and only 22 touches. On comes Lucas Alario to try and make a difference, as well as Paulinho for Adli.
76'
Substitution
75'
Substitution
We've got the two best goalkeepers for Fantasy points this season on the pitch today. Both Flekken and Hradecky are on four points for this game as it stands.
© BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/G. Hubbs via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Beautiful Sports
71'
GOOD FROM SCHADE
The substitute is onto a long ball up the right wing, twists this way and that before pinging a cross low into the area. Andrich clears with a backtracking slide for Freiburg's second corner of the game, which is cleared.
67'
GRIFOOOOH!
And from nowhere, we have a shot - and it's mighty close from Grifo. On his right foot, left of centre, he lashes it towards the far top corner. Hradecky isn't getting there. Fortunately for him the ball whizzes just a few inches over his crossbar.
66'
WIRTZ HAVING TO FIGHT
Distance run (km)
9.7
8.9
Wooyeong Jeong Florian Wirtz
62'
ALL IN THE MIDDLE THIRD
Goal attempts
6off target
4on target
2off target
4on target
56'
Substitution
55'
LEVERKUSEN ON THE BALL
Possession (%)
4753
54'
NOT QUITE
A bit of pinball in midfield ends with Wirtz nipping in ahead of a slide and bursting through the middle. He pings a ball forwards to Schick running up the inside left, who tries to knock it past the covering defender, but doesn't quite get it right.
46'
45 MINUTES TO GO...
In this penultimate Bundesliga match of 2021. Both teams resume unchanged.
Kick-off!
TAH THE PROVIDER
© Jan Huebner via www.imago-images.de/imago images/Jan Huebner
Half-time
45'
+ 1
ARANGUIZ LEVELS IT!
Well, to say that has come from nowhere is a bit of an understatement. The ensuing corner is deep and headed upwards. Jonathan Tah pulls out the overhead kick from beyond the far post, Aranguiz is completely unmarked in the centre of the six-yard box and turns it home with his head. Bayer level on the stroke of half-time.
45'
ADDED TIME
One minute at the end of the first half as Leverkusen come down the left and Adli cuts the ball back. Flekken launches himself at it before a defender puts it clear.
41'
BETTER THIS WAY?
Leverkusen took 2-0 leads in both their last two games but still didn't win either. How will they do now they've conceded first?
35'
ARANGUIZ!
Leverkusen seek an immediate response as the Chilean lets fly from the edge of the area. Flekken gathers on the bounce. That was the visitors' first effort in a good 15 or so minutes.
33'
SO SO CHEEKY!
Grifo missed a penalty for the first time in the Bundesliga the other week but that doesn't stop him pulling out the Panenka. Straight down the middle with such loop that Hradecky almost has time to dive and get back up to try and catch it, but the Leverkusen goalkeeper can't quite get there.
32'
PENALTY FREIBURG!
Jeong flicks on a ball into the box and it catches Frimpong on the outstretched arm. Referee Cortus points to the spot.
30'
SCHLOTTERBECK BOOKED
The Freiburg defender cleans up his Germany teammate Wirtz in midfield and is shown the first card of the game.
30'
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
29'
MOSTLY ONE-WAY TRAFFIC
Goal attempts
4off target
3on target
1off target
1on target
27'
NOW HÖFLER
The midfielder is afford time to take a touch and wind up for a shot on the edge of the box. It's going high and maybe under the bar, but Hradecky takes no chances by palming over.
25'
GÜNTER FLASHES OVER
A rare right-footed effort from the Freiburg captain and it's a rocket as he cuts inside, but the wall fizzes just over the far top corner.
18'
COUPLE OF CORNERS
First one from Wirtz is cleared straight behind. Second is met by the head of Schick but not on target.
SCHLOTTERBECK DEMANDING SPECIAL ATTENTION
© THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images
13'
FREIBURG COULD WELL BE AHEAD
xGoals
The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. During a match, it’s easy to see whether the club is performing better than expected (goals > xGoals) - or maybe even higher (xGoals > goals).
xGoals
0
0.74
0.03
0
Goals
8'
WIRTZ DRIVES
A break from Leverkusen through Wirtz up the inside left. He's got Schick and Adli up along with him, but he goes alone as the space opens up. His shot from 20 yards is weak and straight at Flekken, though.
3'
NOW HÖLER!
Freiburg have started like they did at Gladbach the other week and really could be two goals up already. This time it's Höler with the chance from close range after Günter's cutback, but Hradecky makes the stop.
1'
CHANCE FOR SCHLOTTERBECK
The centre-back has been in real goalscoring form of late and ghosts in at the back post once again as a cross is delivered. Frimpong just recovers and reacts in time to get in a vital block.
Kick-off!
TEAMS IN THE TUNNEL
The players are ready and about to emerge out on the Europa-Park Stadion pitch.
0:16
WATCH: WARM-UP TIME
SCHICK STUFF
Freiburg boast the Bundesliga’s meanest defence this season with only 15 goals conceded, but Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick has scored 16 times himself this term. The Czech striker has actually netted Bayer’s last eight goals – all in the last three games. The league record for a player scoring consecutive goals for a club stands at 10, by Fritz Walter for Waldhof Mannheim in 1986/87.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Wins yesterday for Frankfurt and Union saw Freiburg drop to seventh in the table, but victory for them today will see the Black Forest club leap above opponents Leverkusen into third place – just five points off Dortmund in second. It would be their best-ever position at the halfway stage of a Bundesliga season and second-highest points haul, after 33 in 1994/95 (using three points for a win). Conversely, victory for Leverkusen would see them cut the gap to BVB to just three points.
LEVERKUSEN TEAM NEWS
Leverkusen also drew on Wednesday, but threw away a 2-0 lead at home to Hoffenheim. One of the five changes made by Gerardo Seoane is enforced, with Moussa Diaby suspended after his red card. Exequiel Palacios and Edmond Tapsoba drop to the bench, while Karim Bellarabi and Piero Hincapie aren’t in the squad. Jeremie Frimpong, Daley Sinkgraven, Robert Andrich, Charles Aranguiz and Amine Adli are the players who come in.
FREIBURG TEAM NEWS
Christian Streich makes just two changes to his team from Wednesday’s goalless draw at Union Berlin. He reverts to a back four, so Keven Schlotterbeck drops out, as well as midfielder Maximilian Eggestein. Roland Sallai and Janik Haberer are the duo to come in.
0:14
WATCH: INSIDE THE EUROPA-PARK STADION
LEVERKUSEN SUBS
Lunev, Retsos, Bakker, Paulinho, Tapsoba, Alario, Palacios, Sertdemir, Gedikli
LEVERKUSEN XI
Hradecky (c) – Frimpong, Tah, Kossounou, Sinkgraven – Andrich, Aranguiz – Wirtz, Demirbay, Adli – Schick
FREIBURG SUBS
Uphoff, Eggestein, Demirovic, Petersen, Schade, Heintz, Sildillia, K. Schlotterbeck, Weißhaupt
FREIBURG XI
Flekken – Kübler, Lienhart, N. Schlotterbeck, Günter (c) – Sallai, Haberer, Höfler, Grifo – Jeong, Höler
Welcome along!
Here you can find all the information about Freiburg against Leverkusen on Matchday 17.