Freiburg vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: can Freiburg cement their place in the Europa League top eight?
In the seventh round of the UEFA Europa League, we are set for a clash between Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv. The match will take place on Thursday, 22 January, with kick-off at 18:45 CET, and I would like to offer you a betting pick for this encounter.
Freiburg vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: match facts and head-to-head
- Freiburg have failed to win their last two matches.
- Freiburg have gone five consecutive games without keeping a clean sheet.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv have scored at least one goal in nine straight matches.
- Freiburg are unbeaten at home in 13 consecutive matches.
- Freiburg boast the second-best defensive record in the competition, having conceded just three goals.
- Only 7% of Freiburg’s matches this season have ended in a defeat without scoring, compared to 19% for Maccabi.
- Freiburg have won 22% of their matches this season while keeping a clean sheet.
Freiburg vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: match preview
Freiburg currently sit inside the top eight of the UEFA Europa League standings. The side are in fifth place with 14 points after six rounds. The German outfit are just one point behind the leaders and two points clear of the team in ninth. Freiburg remain unbeaten in the Europa League so far, although their recent Bundesliga form has been far from convincing. They have drawn once and lost once in their last two league matches. At the moment, Freiburg occupy eighth place in the domestic table and trail the European qualification zone by five points.
Maccabi Tel Aviv are battling to stay in the Israeli Premier League title race. After 19 rounds, the team have collected 36 points, sitting nine points adrift of the leaders and six behind second place. As such, they still have ground to make up. In the Europa League, however, Maccabi have failed to impress either in terms of performances or results. The Israeli side have taken just one point from six matches and currently sit 35th, with no realistic chance of reaching the knockout stage.
Probable line-ups
- Freiburg: Atubolu; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Osterhage; Beste, Suzuki, Grifo; Matanovic
- Maccabi Tel Aviv: Mashpati; Hamo, Camara, Heitor; Harush, Noy, Shahar, Revivo; Andrade, Varela; Farchi
Prediction
I believe Freiburg have every chance to secure a home win against a side that no longer has any motivation in the UEFA Europa League. I suggest a bet on Freiburg’s individual team total over 2.5 goals.