Freiburg continued their unbeaten streak in the Europa League with a decisive 2-0 win against FC Utrecht at home, securing seven points from their first three matches in the tournament.
Both goals for Freiburg came in the first half, contributing to an overall unbeaten run of eight games across all competitions. Coach Julian Schuster made several squad rotations following a recent draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, reintegrating Vincenzo Grifo and providing a rare start for new signing Yuito Suzuki.
Grifo’s expertise on set pieces was evident early in the match, as he nearly created an own goal scenario for Utrecht's Mike van der Hoorn. Grifo later assisted Maximilian Eggestein, marking the game’s first shot on target.
Utrecht struggled for possession in the opening stages, with Sebastian Haller remaining inactive in terms of goal-scoring opportunities. The team had previously recorded the fewest shots on target in the initial rounds of the competition.
Freiburg opened the scoring with Suzuki netting his first goal for the club on his Europa League debut. The goal was set up by long-serving players Christian Günter and Grifo, showcasing Freiburg's teamwork.
Shortly after the opener, Utrecht's Junior Adamu missed a clear chance to equalize following an assist from Philipp Treu. Suzuki showcased his talent with a shot that required a crucial save from Utrecht's goalkeeper, Vasilis Barkas.
The match saw Utrecht gain momentum towards the end of the first half, but Grifo again proved to be a decisive factor, scoring from a direct free-kick. This goal marked his 22nd direct free-kick in professional football, and the first time he has scored in consecutive matches from set pieces.
After halftime, Suzuki continued his impressive performance with another attempt on goal and assisted Jan-Niklas Beste before being substituted due to injury. Eren Dinkçi replaced him, while Maximilian Eggestein was also denied by Barkas in his pursuit of a second Europa League goal.
Despite Utrecht showing improved performance in the latter half, Freiburg's goalkeeper Noah Atubolu remained largely untested throughout the match. Following this fixture, Freiburg will embark on a series of away matches, including an upcoming game against Leverkusen and a DFB-Pokal tie in Düsseldorf.
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