Preview: Freiburg vs. Hertha Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, head into the weekend in the relegation playoff spot, which is exactly where they finished last season.

Match preview

Having finished sixth last season as well as losing on penalties to RB Leipzig in the final of the DFB-Pokal, Freiburg have demonstrably kicked on another gear this season, with Christian Streich's side firmly in the mix to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Breisgau-Brasilianer have only lost three of their last 15 league games, putting together an unbeaten run of six matches prior to the international break to remain one point ahead of fifth-placed Leipzig.

Having been dumped out of the Europa League by Juventus before travelling to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, Streich is likely to be almost fully focused on securing a top-four finish, which would be a remarkable achievement to crown his 12-year stint at the club.

Despite having some tough fixtures against the likes of Bayern, Leipzig, Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt still ahead of them, Freiburg's destiny ultimately remains in their own hands, and that is all that the 57-year-old could realistically ask for at this stage of the campaign.

However, they can surely not afford to drop points at home to relegation-threatened sides such as Hertha if they are to achieve their ultimate aim, placing plenty of pressure on Saturday's fixture at Europa-Park Stadion.

There are different types of pressure in football, of course, with the prospect of relegation surely the most intense any manager or player can feel given the long-term ramifications it can have on a club's future and people's jobs within the environment.

Having flirted with relegation in each of the last two seasons - including when coming from behind to defeat Hamburger SV across two legs in a relegation playoff last May - it is little surprise to see Hertha embroiled in another battle, with Sandro Schwarz struggling to implement consistency during his first season in charge.

Only VfL Bochum possess an inferior goals-against column than Die Alte Dame, who have lost seven of their 10 league games since returning from the World Cup in late January, while they will be attempting to end an eight-match losing streak away from home when they visit Freiburg this weekend.

Schwarz will be hoping that his players can continue their decent record of late on home soil in order for them to have a realistic chance of survival, while picking up any bonus points which they can on the road, starting on Saturday.

Freiburg Bundesliga form:

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Freiburg form (all competitions):

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Hertha Berlin Bundesliga form:

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Team News

Freiburg will be without their star forward Michael Gregoritsch due to suspension as he received his fifth caution of the season during his side's 1-1 draw against Mainz 05 last time out.

The Austria forward redeemed his missed penalty against Estonia on international duty by subsequently scoring a late winner in the same match, but he will be forced to sit this one out.

Nils Petersen could start in Gregoritsch's absence in order to provide some physicality in attack, and he may be joined by Lucas Holer to form a front two, with Ritsu Doan and Vincenzo Grifo likely to operate from wider areas.

Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is expected to remain out of action until October due to an ACL injury, but Philipp Lienhart should be passed fit to start after missing out against Mainz due to a hip issue, further emboldening Streich to revert to a back four in defence.

Hertha, meanwhile, will travel without Marco Richter after the winger's caution during his side's defeat to Hoffenheim earned himself a one-game ban, with former Everton full-back Jonjoe Kenny likely to replace the German at right wing-back.

Chidera Ejuke, Jean-Paul Boetius and Kelian Nsona all remain ruled out due to long-term injuries, while Ivan Sunjic, Marc-Oliver Kempf and Rune Jarstein may also not be involved.

Freiburg possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter; Eggestein, Hofler; Doan, Holer, Grifo; Petersen

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:

Christensen; Rogel, Uremovic, Dardai; Kenny, Tousart, Cigerci, Serdar, Plattenhardt; Ngankam, Niederlechner

We say: Freiburg 3-1 Hertha Berlin

Even without Gregoritsch's towering presence and goalscoring touch in attack, we expect Freiburg to have too much quality for Hertha, who have been wretched on the road all season long.

Whether Streich utilises a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation is unlikely to matter too much, as his players are comfortable within either system, while their overall goal of a top-four finish looks set to drive them on between now and the end of the campaign.

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