Bochum vs Freiburg Prediction & Tips
It’s been a decent start to Bundesliga life for newly-promoted Bochum, and it’s their solid home form (W3, D1, L1) that has them kicking about midtable after a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim in their previous outing here saw goalkeeper Manuel Riemann secure an impressive fourth Bundesliga home clean sheet this term. With Riemann the standout player for Bochum so far, he even stepped up to take a penalty in that match – the first time a goalkeeper has done so for over a decade in the Bundesliga – but ended up missing!
Quirky match decisions are unlikely to keep Bochum up though, and while the division’s third-worst attack clearly needs to improve after scoring an average of just 0.83 goals per game so far, sending a goalkeeper – who has never scored a professional goal – up the pitch to take a penalty is unlikely to be a morale booster for Bochum’s frontmen.
Freiburg need a morale boost of their own after consecutive Bundesliga defeats well and truly ended their exceptional ten-game unbeaten start to the league season (W6, D4). They still sit third ahead of this matchday, but a three-game winless H2H run coming into this meeting (D1, L2) means the visitors’ favourites tag may not be completely justified.
That said, Freiburg’s 2-1 loss to Bayern in their previous away league game was the only time on the road this Bundesliga campaign that the ‘Breisgau Brazilians’ have conceded first (W3, D2, L1). That, coupled with a defence that’s conceded a league-low five away goals so far, means they should be hard to break down again here.
Players to watch: Sebastian Polter has scored in two of Bochum’s three Bundesliga home wins, both saw him net the final goal in a 2-0 victory. Vincenzo Grifo has scored in 41 league games for Freiburg – an astonishing 36 (88%) of those witnessed both teams score.
Hot streak: The away side on the day has failed to score before half-time in Bochum’s last nine competitive fixtures.
Bochum – Freiburg FREE TIPS
Freiburg – Win @ 2.25
Both teams to score / YES @ 1.80
Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.90
