SC Paderborn 07 host SC Freiburg on 5 September 2026 in the home side's first Bundesliga fixture at the Benteler Arena since their promotion via the 2025/26 playoffs. Paderborn sit 11th after a 0-0 draw at Mainz on matchday one, while Freiburg occupy second with three points and a plus three goal difference following a 4-1 opening day win over Werder Bremen. A Paderborn victory would do more than collect three points, it would suggest their compact, pressing style has enough to compete at this level.
Ralf Kettemann, who replaced Lukas Kwasniok on 1 July 2025 and Julian Schuster, in charge since 22 March 2024, have never faced each other in a competitive fixture.
Paderborn arrive with a D-W-D sequence across their last three outings, showing defensive discipline in the 0-0 at Mainz and a willingness to press high and punish space in the 4-2 DFB Pokal win over Phonix Lubeck. Freiburg's only competitive result this season is the 4-1 opening day win over Werder Bremen.
Felix Gotze (concussion), Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant (knee), Sebastian Klaas (groin), Sven Michel (muscle and groin) and Timur Gayret (ACL) are all out for Paderborn, leaving the squad short at centre back, on the right side of the attack and in the number ten role. Kettemann will lean harder on collective pressing and Marvin Pieringer as a result. Freiburg have their own absences in Patrick Osterhage (muscle), Florent Muslija (ACL rehab) and Rihito Yamamoto (doubt), though Julian Schuster's XI largely picks itself: Yuito Suzuki leads the attack with three goals already this season and Maximilian Eggestein provides the engine in midfield.
Paderborn line up in a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 that relies on compactness and a high press, with wing backs pushed high to outnumber Freiburg's full backs in wide channels. The injury list shifts more responsibility onto Gabriel Vidovic in advanced positions and Santiago Castaneda in midfield, though without Gotze and Michel the shape is thinner through the middle when the press breaks down. The principal matchup is whether Paderborn's wing backs can track Freiburg's wide runners, if the hosts win the ball high, Vidovic and Pieringer will have openings to exploit.
Freiburg's 4-2-3-1 gives Eggestein and a partner a deep platform, which frees the front four to rotate and attack half spaces. Paderborn are more exposed at the back post to Freiburg's deliveries from corners and wide free kicks than they would be with Gotze and Gayret available to contest aerial balls, whereas their own dead ball output is more modest, with Pieringer their main aerial target.
Seven previous meetings have produced three wins each and one draw across mostly different divisions, with the most recent ending 3-1 to Paderborn. The record tells us little beyond the fact that Paderborn have held their own at home.
Freiburg 2-1. Suzuki and Eggestein give Freiburg options Paderborn cannot match in kind and a deeper bench relative to each side's injury situation should tell as the game wears on. Paderborn's compact shape may limit Freiburg to half chances in open play and Vidovic's creativity or a set piece could bring the home side level at some point but Freiburg's substitutes give them a resource Kettemann's squad simply cannot replicate once legs tire.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
