New Bundesliga leaders Freiburg rubbing shoulders with Arsenal and Barcelona
Freiburg have made a perfect start to the season with six straight competitive wins, the latest sending them top of the Bundesliga. Such is the level of their form, they are now rubbing shoulders with Arsenal and Barcelona at Europe's summit.
Top of the charts
Julian Schuster's side blew Borussia Mönchengladbach away on Bundesliga Matchday 3, running out 5-0 winners at a jubilant Europa-Park Stadion. Braces from Yannik Engelhardt and Igor Matanović, along with a second goal in as many games from Maximilian Eggestein, sent the Breisgau outfit above Borussia Dortmund on goal difference, underlining their status as the Bundesliga's most impressive team so far this campaign.
The run not only sees them lead the way in Germany but also emulating the form of some European heavweights. Alongside reignings LaLiga champions Barcelona and English Premier League counterparts Arsenal, Freiburg are one of only three sides in Europe's top five leagues to still have a 100 percent record in all competitions.
A spread of 11 different goalscorers and a penchant for set-piece goals – nine already this season, including six from corners, with six taken by 23-year-old attacker Derry Scherhant – are among the key ingredients of Freiburg's unbeaten start.
Scherhant has jumped ahead of veteran playmaker and fellow dead-ball specialist Vincenzo Grifo in the pecking order, while Jordy Makengo has stepped up at left-back at the expense of seasoned captain Christian Günter. The transition has been seamless, personified by the re-emergence of the returning Engelhardt in central midfield. Having left Freiburg after playing for their reserves, the 25-year-old spent the last three seasons at Fortuna Düsseldorf, Como and Gladbach before re-signing for the club this summer.
"It was fun, and a special game for me against my former teammates. The fact that it turned into such a great afternoon, with so many goals and a brace, made it even better," Engelhardt commented following his Man of the Match display against the Foals. "For now, it's pretty cool and we're enjoying it, but it's only Matchday 3."
Steady progress
Yet Freiburg's flying start is no accident. The Black Forest club have recorded four top-seven finishes in their last five Bundesliga seasons alone, and even reached the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League final, where they came unstuck against Aston Villa in Istanbul. Although expectation levels are quietly rising by the year, Schuster is keen to keep them in check.
"It's a logical consequence of working very meticulously. We are lucky that the boys are also part of this club as a whole over the long haul, and when you have that continuity, certain things can click into place," the 41-year-old said following his team's flawless start to his third campaign at the helm.
"We are only on Matchday 3; if we were here on Matchday 32, it would be a different story. It's fine for the moment, we are putting in good performances, and you can see certain things coming together. But things can turn the other way just as quickly. We are working for and earning this momentum, but our effort levels cannot drop."
Silverware contenders?
The collective commitment has produced Freiburg's best-ever start to a Bundesliga season, with maximum points from their opening three games for the first time. Matanović has six goals in as many competitive outings, filling the void left by star youngster Johan Manzambi's summer move to Villa, rather than merely papering over a perceived crack. Experienced defender Matthias Ginter has even chipped in with three league assists.
The 5-0 win over Gladbach matched the biggest of the Schuster era, alongside February 2025's victory over Werder Bremen, while Freiburg's 10 goals are a league-leading tally. With just one conceded, they also boast the Bundesliga's best defence.
Four years before last season's Europa League heartache, Freiburg lost their first major final – the DFB Cup – to RB Leipzig. Now, they will hope to make it a case of third time lucky, while perhaps securing a first top-four Bundesliga finish and, with it, a maiden berth in the UEFA Champions League.
