Preview: Hertha Berlin vs. Freiburg - prediction, team news, lineups

A struggling Hertha Berlin side will be looking to bounce back from a woeful defeat last weekend against high-flying Freiburg at the Olympiastadion on Saturday.

The hosts have managed just six points from the opening six Bundesliga matchdays, whilst their visitors have made an unbeaten start to the new campaign.

Match preview

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Hertha and manager Pal Dardai appeared to be getting their season back on track after back-to-back wins followed a three-match losing streak in the opening five matches, but last weekend's hammering brought them crashing back down to earth.

The Old Lady were haplessly beaten 6-0 by RB Leipzig - a side struggling to get their season going too - after a dreadful defensive performance saw them concede three goals in each half, whilst providing little threat at the opposite end of the pitch.

Opening defeats against FC Koln, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich were responded to well after the international break, where the Berlin club defeated the two newly promoted sides VfL Bochum and Greuther Furth, despite far-from-perfect displays.

The points took priority in those victories, though, with Hertha keen to make a statement that would ensure they were not compared to the two expected strugglers in the division.

Despite those results, their performances and results have done little to suggest otherwise so far, though, as Dardai and his men could be set for another challenging season fighting at the wrong end of the table, even after the significant investment in the playing squad in recent years.

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Meanwhile, the visitors arrive at the Olympiastadion on Saturday in far brighter spirits than their hosts, due to enjoying their best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign.

Last weekend's 3-0 victory over lowly Augsburg saw Freiburg rise to fifth place in the table, after failing to taste defeat since the new season kicked off at the beginning of August.

Goals from Lukas Kubler, Lucas Holer and a penalty from Vincenzo Grifo saw Die Breisgauer race into a three-goal lead inside the opening 33 minutes, in what was a dominant display from start to finish, and were unfortunate not to increase their lead after heroics from the opposition goalkeeper.

That win followed impressive successes away at rivals Stuttgart and at home to title hopefuls Borussia Dortmund, as Saturday's visitors look to return to European competition in future campaigns.

One of the main catalysts to the start made by Christian Streich's men is the solid foundation he has built in his team, with the side only conceding four goals in the opening six fixtures as a result of the struggles to break them down when they are out of possession.

To continue their bright start, Freiburg will have to produce a positive performance at a venue where they have struggled in recent years, with no victory in the last five visits and defeats in each of the last two.

Team News

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The hosts are missing a number of players ahead of welcoming Freiburg on Saturday, with at least four expected to miss out.

Defenders Linus Gechter, Lukas Klunter and Jordan Torunarigha are joined on the sidelines by forward Myziane Maolida, with another defender in Deyovaisio Zeefuik being listed as doubtful due to a groin problem as well.

Manager Dardai is expected to benefit from a timely return for captain and defender Dedryck Boyata, though, as well as hand a first appearance of the season to Peter Pekarik, as a result of the absent defenders.

As for Freiburg, the versatile Jonathan Schmid remains the only injury concern for manager Streich in a near fully-fit squad.

Therefore, the same starting lineup that raced out of the blocks to a three-goal lead against Augsburg last time out is expected to remain.

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Schwolow; Stark, Boyata, M Dardai; Pekarik, Tousart, Darida, Plattenhardt; Serdar, Ekkelenkamp; Selke

Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Gulde, Lienhart, Schlotterbeck; Kubler, Eggestein, Hofler, Gunter; Woo-yeong, Holer, Grifo

We say: Hertha Berlin 1-1 Freiburg

This match appears to be a tough one to call despite the gap in the table early into the new campaign. The home advantage of Hertha may be enough to earn them a battling point against a Freiburg side that is tough to break down.