No points in Freiburg

FC Augsburg lost 2-1 away from home against SC Freiburg. Maximilian Philipp and Nils Peterson got the goals for the hosts in the 66th and 78th minutes respectively. Halil Altintop pulled one back for FCA in the 84th minute but it proved to be merely a consolation. Head coach Dirk Schuster put his faith in the same starting XI that drew 1-1 with Schalke last week in what was a particularly special match for Jonathan Schmid who was a player at Freiburg between 2008 and 2015. Both teams pressed high up the pitch to begin with but chances were few and far between. Freiburg had the greater possession but could not create any clear-cut chances against a well-organised Augsburg defence. Halil Altintop tried a shot in the twelfth minute from just outside the box but it was deflected by the Freiburg defence and goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow got their comfortably to keep out what was Augsburg's first chance of the game. The hosts then had their first opportunity moments later at the other end of the field as Vicenzo Grifo went for the top corner but Marwin Hitz was there to meet it. The match gradually picked up pace and Augsburg started to put some pressure on the hosts going forward. Dong-Won Ji had the best chance of the match so far for the Fuggerstädter in the 20th minute but Schwolow was able to parry the Korean's deflected shot away. Ji also had a curling effort saved by the Freiburg keeper moments afterwards. But SCF were not without chances themselves; Hitz had to get down low to his near post to keep out a strike by Mike Frantz from 18 metres out. The FCA goal faced more danger when Florian Niederlechner only just failed to get his foot to a low cross into the middle from Onur Bulut. The teams went into the dressing room with the match goalless at half time. It was Freiburg who had the best chance to break the deadlock at the beginning of the second half with Christian Günter hitting it from the edge of the area but it went straight at Hitz, who made sure there was no rebound to follow up. It ended up being a set piece that led to Freiburg's first goal of the game. Grifo swung a free-kick into the middle in the 66th minute and found Maximilian Philipp, who went unchallenged as he poked home to put Freibrug 1-0 up. The hosts now had the upper hand and saw yet another free-kick fly just inches wide of the post three minutes later. At the other end, Konstantinos Stafylidis hit a fierce strike from distance that was not far away from finding the bottom left of the goal. But Freiburg substitute Nil Petersen then made it two for the home side after a well-timed low cross from Philipp. What happened next? FCA did not give up and Halil Altintop grabbed one back in the 84th minute from 14 metres out to set up a tense finish. Dirk Schuster threw on his forward players in the final few minutes, bringing on Julian Günther-Schmidt in the 85th minute. The youngster had a fantastic chance to make it 2-2 in the 88th minute but smashed the ball over the bar from five metres out. Ji managed to get his head to a cross in stoppage time but he could only drag it wide of the post. The referee blew the final whistle in the Schwarzwald-Stadion and FCA will have to make the journey home without a point.