Whilst all the attention is on Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, Christian Streich's SC Freiburg has enjoyed an exceptional start to the 2021-22 season.
Freiburg bid farewell to its iconic longtime home, the Dreisamstadion, last weekend with a 3-0 victory over Augsburg. With views straight out of a movie scene, the old-school stadium has long been a haven for supporters, who have seen Germany's giants stumble and fall within its walls. Just this August, Dortmund was defeated 2-1 in Freiburg.
Streich, endearingly called "the philosopher of the Black Forest," is the Bundesliga's longest-tenured manager. He was unable to hold back tears as he took to the stands after the Augsburg victory to sing with the supporters: "Im Dreisamstadion, hier sind wir zuhaus" — this is where we are at home.
Streich's side sits in fifth in the Bundesliga after six games, with three wins and three draws to its name. At this point last season, Freiburg was 13th with one win on the opening day of the season. After opening the campaign with a DFB-Pokal victory over Wurzburger Kickers, it drew to Arminia Bielefeld before defeating Dortmund and Stuttgart in its next two games.
While the offense has yet to get firing on all cylinders, sitting just about in the middle of the league with nine goals scored, Freiburg has been a rock defensively — four goals conceded in six is good for the second-best record in the division thus far.
Freiburg has an opportunity to carry on its early-season form when it travels to the capital to face struggling Hertha, which has lost four of its six league games and holds the worst defensive record in the league with 18 goals conceded. While there is no such thing as an easy game in the Bundesliga, the schedule certainly looks more challenging on paper after Hertha — games against RB Leipzig and third-placed Wolfsburg follow.
Streich and his side will be eager to carry on their strong form and get off to a good start at their new home, which will be officially opened with a friendly against 2.Bundesliga side St. Pauli on Oct. 7.
