Benjamin Šeško (l.) of RB Leipzig and Vincenzo Grifo (r.) of Freiburg jostle for possession in the last meeting between these sides. - © IMAGO/Michael Taeger

bundesliga

5 why Freiburg vs. RB Leipzig is such a big game on Matchday 25

08.03.2025

Julian Schuster's Freiburg host Marco Rose's RB Leipzig on Matchday 25 in one of the most important games of both sides' seasons with regards to their hopes for UEFA Champions League football next year. bundesliga.com takes you through five things that make this a crunch clash...

1) Champions League ramifications

Just two points separate these sides ahead of sixth-place Leipzig's visit to the southwest to face fifth-place Freiburg, with the hosts on 40 and their visitors on 38. It's a proper 'six pointer' with regards to the race for Europe, though Leipzig will take come confidence in the fact that they have signifcantly more Champions League pedigree of late than their Black Forest opponents. RB have only finished outside the top four once – in 2017/18 - since their maiden top-flight campaign in the 2016/17 season.

However, on recent form, it looks to be advantage Freiburg, as the Black Forest club come into this one unbeaten in their last five, having taken 13 points from a possible 15 and kept a clean sheet in every one of those matches. Leipzig, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-1 home defeat to Mainz and have drawn three of their last five. Their last three-point haul came in a 2-0 home win over St. Pauli on Matchday 21.

If Leipzig can claim victory, they’ll be right back into contention for the Champions League spots. However, in the event of a Freiburg win, and should fourth-place Mainz also emerge as victors away at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Die Roten Bullen will be five points off the top four, with a real battle ahead of them.

Watch: RB Leipzig 3-1 Freiburg - highlights

2) Goals, goals and more goals!

Although both sides typically pride themselves on building upon a strong defensive framework, there have been 75 goals across the 21 previous meetings between them, averaging out to more than 3.5 goals a game! Perhaps even more noteworthy is the fact that this fixture has never finished 0-0. In the 21 previous instalments of this match-up, RB have won 13, Freiburg themselves have won four, with four ending as draws.

On previous meetings, it would definitely have to be advantage Leipzig, though, as in recent years, Die Roten Bullen have done the double over Freiburg in the 2020/21, 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns. You have to go back to the 2021/22 season for the last time Leipzig haven’t won this fixture, with both instalments that season coming out as 1-1 draws.

For Freiburg's last win in the fixture, you have to go yet further back to when they edged out a 2-1 home win in October 2019. Of the current Freiburg squad, only Philipp Lienhart, Christian Günter, Nicolas Höfler, Lucas Höler and Vincenzo Grifo featured, with the latter the only one not to start. Leipzig are much changed since that encounter too, with only Péter Gulácsi, Willi Orbán, Lukas Klostermann, Amadou Haidara and Yussuf Poulsen from that matchday squad still remaining at the club.

Watch: Freiburg 2-1 RB Leipzig - highlights

3) The Grifo-Dōan connection

One of the driving forces behind Freiburg's recent uptick has been the scintillating form of the club's two wingers Grifo and Ritsu Dōan. The Italy and Japan internationals each bagged a brace - Grifo notably hitting a superb free-kick - as Schuster's men pummelled Werder Bremen 5-0 on Matchday 23, taking their respective season goal tallies to eight strikes in the process.

The pair also combined for the winner in the 1-0 victory over Heidenheim on Matchday 21, Dōan mesmerising the visiting defence before hiking a superb ball over the top for Grifo to nod emphatically home. The Leipzig defence will definitely have their work cut out if these two wily wide men are on their game.

Watch: Freiburg's Grifo and Dōan on fire against Bremen

4) The Šeško effect

Although Leipzig have been more adept at defending than finding the back of the net of late, one man has been a consistent source of goals: Benjamin Šeško. The Slovenian is Rose's top scorer this season with 10 Bundesliga goals - five of which came in consecutive matches between Matchdays 13 and 17 - and a total of 17 across all competitions.

But it's not just about numbers - his timing has been impressive as well. With the side on a four-match winless streak (three draws), he pulled out a goal-and-assist performance in that 2-0 win over St. Pauli, and then repeated the feat to power a comeback from two goals down in the 2-2 draw with Heidenheim. On top of that, Šeško kept his nerve from the spot to clinch the 1-0 DFB Cup win over Wolfsburg that sent Die Roten Bullen into the semi-finals, proving once again his knack for getting his side out of a pinch.

Watch: Šeško rescues Leipzig in Heidenheim draw

5) Turning point?

Not only does this match have big implications for both sides in terms of their ranking, it could easily prove a turning point in terms of the run-in to the end of the season. For Leipzig, this is the last match against a side currently above them in the table until the end of April, meaning that a win on Saturday could give them the confidence they need to collect points against Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg and Holstein Kiel, and make their Matchday 31 meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt (currently third) another six-pointer.

It's a similar scenario for Freiburg who, after facing high-flying Mainz (currently fourth) on Matchday 26, also have a five-match run against lower-ranked sides - in fact four of the same sides Leipzig will face - before what could prove a capital clash with champions Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 32. This is a key moment for both sides, one that could prove decisive as we head into the home stretch of this thrilling Bundesliga campaign.