Will Freiburg turn it into a rout? Conference League match preview: Freiburg vs Motherwell
On Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 18:45 Central European Time, the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg will host the second leg of the UEFA Conference League 2026/27 play-off round: German side Freiburg takes on Scotland’s Motherwell.
In the first encounter in Scotland, the Breisgau side showed real character, coming from behind to secure a 3-1 victory (Matthias Ginter netted a brace and Keisuke Goto scored in the dying minutes). Now, Julian Schuster’s men are just one step away from the tournament’s group stage.
The teams have faced each other just once before – in the first leg of this play-off round:
- 20.08.2026 (Motherwell, Fir Park): Motherwell 1–3 Freiburg.
Freiburg are in red-hot form: after their away win in Scotland, they absolutely demolished Fortuna Düsseldorf in the German Cup, 5-1, scoring eight goals in their first two official fixtures of the season. Defender-turned-goalscorer Matthias Ginter, playmaker Vincenzo Grifo, and striker Igor Matanović are all in fine form.
With a comfortable two-goal cushion, Freiburg will take to the pitch under no extra pressure, but with the backing of their home crowd, they’ll control the tempo and punish the visitors if they leave too much space. The only notable absence for the hosts is defender Max Rosenfelder, who picked up an injury in the first leg (Philipp Lienhart will step in for him).
Motherwell started brightly at home, grabbing an early goal through Regan Charles-Cook, but the sending-off of centre-back Martin Murmann completely derailed their game plan. Murmann is suspended for the return leg, creating a massive gap in the heart of the Steelmen’s defence.
To pull off a miracle, Motherwell will need to score at least twice. That will force the visitors to take more risks from the outset and open up, which could spell real trouble against the Bundesliga side’s rapid attack.
Freiburg will look to dominate possession, work the flanks, and create shooting chances for their forwards. Motherwell will try to press high and make the most of set-pieces and crosses aimed at striker Ibrahim Said.
What’s the smart bet for this clash?
The gulf in class between a German top club and a mid-table Scottish side is simply too great. With Murmann suspended, Motherwell’s weakened defence is unlikely to withstand Freiburg’s relentless attack, which is averaging four goals per game at the start of the season. My prediction: Freiburg Asian handicap (-1.5).
