Highlights

Matchday 34

FINAL

Europa-Park Stadion

Eintracht Frankfurt

63'

SkhiriEllyes Skhiri

61'

KristensenRasmus Kristensen

45' +4'

KnauffAnsgar Knauff

DōanRitsu Dōan

27'

B. Brand

Europa-Park Stadion

0:45

Watch: Frankfurt celebrate third-placed finish

0:21

Watch: Trapp: "It is something very special for this club"

Full time: Freiburg 1-3 Frankfurt

It’s all over and Frankfurt claim a Champions League spot after coming from behind to claim maximum points. Freiburg will be hugely disappointed after dominating the first half and taking the lead, only to concede right before the break after a costly error from Lienhart. That gave Frankfurt the boost they needed and two quickfire goals in the second half did the damage, sealing a third-place finish for the Eagles, leaving Freiburg outside the Champions League places in fifth.

Full-time

90'

+ 7

Half chance

Grifo bends a free-kick from the right into the box and finds Eggestein, whose glancing header sails just over.

90'

+ 6

Yellow card

Nathaniel Brown

90'

+ 5

No dice

Freiburg haven't had a shot on goal in the last 35 minutes.

90'

+ 2

Added time

There will be 10 minutes of stoppage time.

90'

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.

Maximilian Rosenfelder33.51km/h

Nathaniel Brown32.75km/h

Hugo Ekitiké32.72km/h

89'

Yellow card

Nnamdi Collins

89'

Substitution

Michy Batshuayi

Hugo Ekitiké

89'

Substitution

Elye Wahi

Ansgar Knauff

88'

Almost four!

Ekitiké twists and turns as he dribbles into the box, creating a pocket of space for himself to shoot, but Atubolu denies him once again.

86'

Yellow card

Philipp Lienhart

85'

As things stand

If the scores hold, Frankfurt will finish in third on 60 points, three ahead of Dortmund, who are currently 3-0 ahead against Kiel. Freiburg will finish in fifth place on 55 points and go into the Europa League.

83'

Substitution

Aurèle Amenda

Ellyes Skhiri

82'

Substitution

Merlin Röhl

Johan Manzambi

79'

Frankfurt compact

With a two-goal lead and no real need to push for more, the visitors are focusing their efforts on defending - and are doing so well. They're packing the middle of the park and Freiburg seem to have run out of ideas.

75'

Double change

New tactics? Günter is superb at crossing from the left and Gregoritsch is a big target man who's good in the air. Will the switch pay off for Freiburg?

74'

Substitution

Michael Gregoritsch

Junior Adamu

74'

Substitution

Christian Günter

Jordy Makengo

72'

Yellow card

Ansgar Knauff

Free-kick specialists

Skhiri's effort means Frankfurt have now scored a league-high six goals from free-kicks this season.

69'

Efficient

Five shots on target, three goals for Frankfurt.

Goal attempts

3off target

3on target

4off target

5on target

66'

Substitution

Oscar Höjlund

Farès Chaïbi

66'

Substitution

Lukas Kübler

Max Rosenfelder

64'

Quickfire double!

That is surely that now in the top-four race. Freiburg struggle to deal with Chaïbi's free-kick from the right and the ball falls to Kristensen again. His low drive from an angle comes to Skhiri at the far post, and he prods it over the line, in off Manzambi.

63'

Ellyes Skhiri

GOAL!

1:3

Goal probability

Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.

78 %

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

4.1 m

62'

Turnaround!

Grifo loses the ball in the centre circle and Frankfurt pounce immediately. Ekitiké dribbles forward and flicks the ball to Kristensen, who shoots from just outside the box. It's not particularly powerful but it's inch-perfect into the corner to put the Eagles in front!

61'

Rasmus Kristensen

GOAL!

1:2

Goal probability

4 %

Shot speed

Shot speed describes the maximum speed in km/h that a ball reaches in a shot on goal. The distance is measured from the location of the shot to the centre of the goal.

100.3 km/h

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

21.85 m

58'

Yellow card

Max Rosenfelder

Milestone strike

Knauff's equaliser was Frankfurt's 3,000th Bundesliga goal.

53'

More of the same

The second half seems to be following the same pattern as the first, with Freiburg on top as they seek the goal they need to finish above Frankfurt.

Possession (%)

5644

49'

Penalty check

One for VAR as Skhiri's volley appears to hit Manzambi's arm inside the box but the referee instead awards Freiburg an indirect free-kick as there was a previous offside position.

48'

SituationNo penalty

ReviewPrevious offside?

DecisionNo penalty

47'

Over from Adamu

Dōan floats a cross in from the right and finds Adamu, who can't keep his header down.

46'

Here we go again!

Frankfurt get us under way again.

Kick-off!

Half-time: Freiburg 1-1 Frankfurt

It’s all square at the break but it looked like the home side would take a narrow lead into half-time after a hugely impressive first 45 minutes they largely dominated. Ekitiké had a couple of chances for Frankfurt, who looked dangerous at times, a fact underlined by Knauff’s equaliser out of the blue just before the interval. This one is by no means over with a place in the top four, and the Champions League, on the line.

Half-time

45'

+ 5

Frankfurt level!

It's against the run of play but the Eagles have equalised! Knauff flicks the ball with his heel and spins around Lienhart, who should clear but he completely misses the ball. That allows Knauff in to poke Frankfurt level from close range!

45'

+ 4

Ansgar Knauff

GOAL!

1:1

Goal probability

25 %

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

9.9 m

45'

+ 1

Tale of the tape

Freiburg have won 58 percent of all duels so far. They've looked sharper, faster and more aggressive than Frankfurt today.

Tackles won

43'

As things stand

If results stay as they are then Freiburg will finish in third place on 58 points, with Frankfurt a point behind in fourth. Dortmund are also on 57 points but their goal difference is one goal worse than Frankfurt's. So if Dortmund score again, the Eagles will not qualify for the Champions League.

42'

Yellow card

Rasmus Kristensen

Decisive moment

Dōan has put Freiburg 1-0 up five times this season. The Black Forest club also scored from a long throw by Leinhart against Kiel last week.

37'

Atubolu again!

Skhiri slides a lovely ball into the feet of Ekitiké, who dances past Ginter and flashes a left-footed shot at goal that Atubolu does well to tip over the bar.

33'

Chance for Ekitiké!

Frankfurt's best opening of the game as Knauff dribbles into the Freiburg area and lays the ball off for Ekitiké. His first-tie effort is well struck but Atabolu is equal to it, with Chaïbi firing over on the rebound.

32'

Double figures

Dōan now has 10 Bundesliga goals for the season, making him the first Freiburg player to get into double figures in 2024/25. He's now found the target in each of his last three games against Frankfurt.

30'

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.

Maximilian Rosenfelder33.51km/h

Jordy Makengo Basambundu32.55km/h

Hugo Ekitiké32.28km/h

28'

Freiburg lead!

A long throw from Lienhart on the left is flicked on at the near post by Ginter. It falls kindly for Dōan in the centre to volley in from the edge of the six-yard box!

27'

Ritsu Dōan

GOAL!

1:0

Goal probability

18 %

Shot speed

Shot speed describes the maximum speed in km/h that a ball reaches in a shot on goal. The distance is measured from the location of the shot to the centre of the goal.

71.7 km/h

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

6.94 m

24'

First glimpse

Grifo bends a cross into the box from the left, aiming for Adamu. A defender gets a toe on it first though, and while the ball rolls vaguely in the direction of the goal, it's slow enough that Trapp can comfortably keep it in play.

Nothing in it

Dōan has been lively so far but we haven't had any chances to speak of yet.

18'

Brilliant from Dōan

Frankfurt have grown into the game over the last few minutes and are getting forward with more regularity now. A nice move down the right ends with Chaïbi bursting into the box and trying to cross, but Dōan is alive to the danger, tracks his run and blocks the cross with a big lunge that draws a murmur of appreciation from the crowd.

15'

Ball Recovery Time

Ball Recovery Time gives the time in seconds in which it takes a team to win back the ball following a loss of possession. It also allows conclusions to be drawn about a team's style of play. Only time when the ball is in play is counted (i.e. no breaks in play such as for goal-kicks, throw-ins etc).

SCF

SGE

5.5 s

23 s

14'

Hosts want it

We're not even a quarter of an hour into the game and Freiburg have already collectively covered over a kilometre more than their visitors.

Distance run (km)

16.3

15.3

10'

In behind for the first time

Some neat interplay down the right ends with Grifo releasing Rosenfelder behind the visiting defence. Brown recovers well to concede a corner though.

Skhiri down

The Frankfurt midfielder limps off the pitch after several moments of treatment following an awkward challenge. It looks like he'll be able to continue though.

Will the stats bear out?

Freiburg were favourites to take maximum points prior to kick-off, with Frankfurt's chances of winning rated at 27 percent. If the game follows suit, it'll be Freiburg in the Champions League next season, not Freiburg.

42.8 %

Now

43.5 %

Promising position

Dōan is fouled wide on the right. Grifo whips the resulting free-kick into the Frankfurt box but it's headed clear by a defender.

Added pressure?

As if the stakes weren't already high enough, Dortmund have already taken an early lead at home to Kiel, meaning Freiburg absolutely must win here in order to finish in the top four.

Peeeeep!

And we're off as Freiburg get the ball rolling.

Kick-off!

Slight delay

The players are all out on the pitch but kick-off has been delayed for a few moments while the referee waits for some smoke to clear.

More on those teams

The visitors are showing two changes in their starting XI, with Fares Chaibi and Nnamdi Collins in for Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Tuta (both not in the squad). Hosts Freiburg, meanwhile, see Lucas Höler replacing Patrick Osterhage in the starting lineup.

Freiburg starting XI

Atubolu - Rosenfelder, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo - Eggestein, Manzambi - Dōan, Höler, Grifo (c) - Adamu

Freiburg subs

Huth, Kübler, Sildillia, Günter, Beste, Muslija, Höfler, Röhl, Gregoritsch

Eintracht starting XI

Trapp (c) - Collins, Koch, Theate - Kristensen, Skhiri, Larsson, Brown - Knauff, Chaïbi - Ekitiké

Eintracht subs

Grahl, Amenda, Nkounkou, Höjlund, Chandler, Matanović, Wahi, Uzun, Batshuayi

Frankfurt to bring the noise

Although Freiburg fans will be filling the majority of the stadium, Frankfurt will have about 3,400 fans in attendance. They'll be hoping to create plenty of noise themselves, and according to the club's website, those fans will be aided by the use of three megaphones, five drums and a series of flags and banners. That should make for quite a lively away end for today's winner-takes-all clash.

A day for the fans

Today's game will be the first time in five years that Freiburg have finished the season at home. The last time this happened was a 4-0 win against Schalke during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic, where fans couldn't attend. Today, the home side are looking to make up for this with a variety of festivities planned for the big occasion. That includes a send-off for club hero Manuel Gulde, who is retiring and the provision of 15,000 litres of free drinks. There will also be a live band performance after the game along with the opportunity to celebrate the players' achievements. Of course, the biggest gift the Freiburg fans could receive today is a place in the Champions League next season.

An enormous final day

Both Freiburg and Frankfurt have had brilliant seasons, hence why they sit in fourth and third going into Matchday 34. Both sides have blended the integration of young players with winning football, entertaining Bundesliga fans all season long; as a result, they both sit on the verge of Champions League football, which would be a huge achievement for either club. However, there is still the possibility that both can drop out of the top four, making this a must win for both sides. With the stage set for an incredible finale, it promises to be an exhilarating watch!

Toppmöller to stay

It was confirmed on Thursday that Dino Toppmöller has extended his contract as Frankfurt coach to the end of the 2027/28 season - having first taken charge in summer 2023.

Julian Schuster on facing Frankfurt

"They can defend compactly and threaten on the break. They can also press high. We have to set up to face the variability of Frankfurt."

Dino Toppmöller on facing Freiburg

"We all know we have to, and indeed want to, push ourselves to the limit on Saturday. We all want to reach the Champions League with a perfect performance. That’s no secret.”

Room for improvement

In six away trips to the current top eight in the table this season, Frankfurt have taken just one point (a 1-1 draw in Mainz on Matchday 32).

Historic highs in sight

Whoever wins will finish third in the Bundesliga - matching Frankfurt's highest ever finish in 1992/93, and also Freiburg's best-ever placing in 1994/95.

Formiddable form

Both sides go into the encounter unbeaten in their past five in the Bundesliga. Freiburg have taken 13 out of a maximum of 15 points in that spell, a figure only Borussia Dortmund have bettered.

0:48

Watch: The best tifos of 2024/25

2:12

Watch: Freiburg vs. Frankfurt - head-to-head for the Champions League

Final-day permutations

Frankfurt will secure a top-four finish if they a) avoid defeat in Freiburg; b) Dortmund fail to beat Kiel; c) lose by a one-goal margin and Dortmund win by only a one-goal margin. Freiburg will do so if they a) beat Frankfurt; draw and Dortmund fail to win; or c) Dortmund lose. Eintracht can only drop out of the top four if they lose and Dortmund win in a way that cancels out Frankfurt's superior goal difference (currently +20 compared to BVB's +17). Freiburg can also end up fifth, in the worst-case scenario of a defeat, plus a Dortmund draw or win.

2:03

Watch: Frankfurt 4-1 Freiburg - highlights

Omar Marmoush marked his final Bundesliga appearance with a goal and two assists as Eintracht came from behind to win big on Matchday 17. The Eagles are now unbeaten in five against Freiburg, whilst losing only one of the last 10.

2:03

Watch: Holstein Kiel 1-2 Freiburg - highlights

Freiburg boosted their Champions League qualification hopes at the expense of Kiel's top-flight status last time out. A win over Frankfurt will seal the deal, but anything else opens the door to Borussia Dortmund, currently a point back in fifth, jumping ahead of them at the last.

2:03

Watch: Frankfurt 2-2 St. Pauli - highlights

Eintracht missed the chance to tie up a place in next season's UEFA Champions League after being held by lowly St. Pauli. A draw or better on the final day will get them over the line in third, but a defeat could send them out of the top four altogether and into the UEFA Europa League instead.

Hello and welcome!

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this Matchday 34 fixture between SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.