Freiburg fight back from two-goal deficit to earn dramatic draw against Augsburg
Augsburg and Freiburg shared a point apiece after the hosts had raced in front only to see the visitors come back in equally fast fashion in an eventful second half.
Augsburg 2-2 Freiburg
Goals: 1-0 Claude-Maurice 47', 2-0 Rexhbecaj 49', 2-1 Suzuki 60', 2-2 Matanović 62'
Augsburg welcomed Freiburg to the WWK-Arena with both sides having things to improve in the new year. The hosts went into the game in a precarious 15th position, just three points above the relegation play-off spot after winning only one of their previous six league matches.
Julian Schuster's Freiburg, sitting eighth in the table, are still within striking distance of the European places but have struggled away from home so far this season, losing five on the road already.
Foggy first half sees few clear chances
The match suffered an early disruption when pyrotechnics reduced visibility, causing a six-minute delay. When play resumed, Vincenzo Grifo produced the first meaningful attempt, flashing a shot just wide after controlling Lucas Höler's cross. As the half progressed, Augsburg grew into the contest with Alexis Claude-Maurice forcing a fine save from Noah Atubolu with a powerful header following Robin Fellhauer's cross. Despite eight minutes of added time, neither side could break the deadlock before the interval.
Goals galore as Augsburg surge ahead
Manuel Baum's half-time introduction of Elvis Rexhbecaj for the injured Kristijan Jakić immediately paid dividends as Augsburg exploded out of the blocks after the restart. Claude-Maurice broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, firing a precise finish into the bottom corner after good work from Fellhauer. Just two minutes later, Rexhbecaj doubled the advantage with a perfectly placed header from Fabian Rieder's cross, sending the home supporters into raptures.
Freiburg substitutes change the game
With his team two goals down, Schuster responded with a bold triple substitution in the 56th minute, introducing Niklas Beste, Derry Scherhant and Yuito Suzuki - and the changes proved inspired. Just four minutes after coming on, Suzuki thundered home a volley from Beste's corner to halve the deficit. Remarkably, Freiburg were level just two minutes later when Igor Matanović bundled home from close range after Michael Gregoritsch had blocked Johan Manzambi's initial effort on the line with his hand. The Austrian striker received a yellow card for his troubles, but the referee allowed Matanović's follow-up to stand.
Both sides push for a winner
After the frantic scoring spell, both teams continued to push forward in search of a winner. Freiburg thought they had completed their comeback in the 79th minute when Matanović turned in a rebound after Scherhant's shot hit the crossbar, but the goal was disallowed as Suzuki had carried the ball out of play before crossing. At the other end, Bruno Ogbus produced a brilliant last-ditch block to deny Claude-Maurice's goal-bound effort in the 86th minute. Despite six minutes of added time, neither side could find a decisive breakthrough as an entertaining contest ended all square.
Player of the Match: Alexis Claude-Maurice
Alexis Claude-Maurice was the standout performer in an exciting encounter, earning well-deserved Player of the Match honours with 32% of the vote. The Augsburg midfielder not only opened the scoring with a clinical finish but was a constant threat throughout, recording a match-high four shots. His clever movement and link-up play caused Freiburg problems all afternoon, and he was unfortunate not to add a second goal when his late effort was brilliantly blocked by Ogbus. Claude-Maurice also covered an impressive 11.7 kilometres and dealt admirably with being the most pressed player on the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Augsburg 1.05 - Freiburg 1.65
Fastest player: Jordy Makengo (Freiburg), 34.06 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-0 by Elvis Rexhbecaj (Augsburg), 8 percent
Most pressed player: Alexis Claude-Maurice (Augsburg), 20 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Noahkai Banks (Augsburg), +3.2
Fantasy Heroes: Alexis Claude-Maurice (Augsburg, 318 Points), Igor Matanović (Freiburg, 295 Points), Elvis Rexhbecaj (Augsburg, 213 Points)
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