Borussia Dortmund welcomed Freiburg to Signal Iduna Park in their penultimate home game of the 2025-26 Bundesliga season on Saturday, still reeling from back-to-back losses.
It's the first time that BVB play since officially losing the league title to Bayern Munich, who retained their crown and sealed a record-extending 35th title in the competition.
Things were going smoothly for Niko Kovac's swashbuckling team, or so it seemed after they won four top-flight matches in a row. Fast forward today and it appears like Dortmund are in panic mode.
As they enter the last four games of the league campaign, the Black and Yellows are looking to finish strongly but Freiburg could be another potential banana skin.
1) Freiburg on the up
They might be down in seventh place but Freiburg were on a run of four consecutive wins in all competitions until Stuttgart halted it by inflicting a 2-1 defeat upon them in the German Cup semi-finals on Thursday, although Die Roten needed extra-time to pull it off.
Following their home (3-0) and away (3-1) wins over Spanish side Celta Vigo in the Europa League quarter-finals, the Breisgau-Brasilianer prevailed over Mainz and Heidenheim in the league. The cup loss might be disappointing but the side didn't go down without fighting.
Dortmund are not going to have it any easier.
2) Dortmund's stellar record to Freiburg
In 54 clashes against the Baden-Wattemburg outfit, Dortmund command a significant head-to-head record with 36 wins and just six defeats in history.
After back-to-back losses to Freiburg in 2021, the BVB have gone the next eight without a defeat, winning seven although the former did hold them to a 1-1 draw earlier this season.
Ramy Bensebaini had fired them in front after 31 minutes into the kick-off before Lucas Holer equalized for Freiburg in the 75th minute to snatch a point.
3) The Serhou Guirassy dilemma
One big concern for Borussia Dortmund ahead of the clash is the availability of Serhou Guirassy, who is currently nursing a concussion from their 2-1 loss to Hoffenheim last weekend.
The Guinean international, who reportedly was carrying a knock, came off the bench in the second half and restored parity for the BVB late on.
But moments before that, he was entangled in a duel which left him in a heap on the floor and diagnosis after the match revealed the problem.
He hasn't been officially ruled out of the clash yet as last-minute scans will be made to see if their talismanic striker, who has 14 goals in the Bundesliga this season, is passed fit for Saturday.
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