Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen have looked next to perfect at home this season, meaning Freiburg will have their work cut out for them at an atmospheric BayArena.
(kick-off: 5.
30pm CET).
Latest Click here for the Leverkusen vs.
Freiburg LIVE blog!"We have to remain hungry," was midfielder Granit Xhaka's battle cry after Die Werkself earned an impressive win at Wolfsburg last weekend.
The table toppers after Matchday 8, Bayer have been a setting a high standard with their seven top-flight wins so far and Xabi Alonso's attacking side do not look in the mood to slow down anytime soon.
Alonso - who is set to oversee a half a century of Bundesliga games at the Leverkusen helm - has Patrik Schick back in the fold, the striker having finally returned following 226 days on the sidelines.
The Czech forward will have his work cut out trying to unseat his team's seven-goal top scorer Victor Boniface, who is primed to start as Leverkusen aim to maintain their 100 per cent home record.
Christian Streich's Freiburg snapped a two-game losing streak in all competitions with a 2-1 home win against Bochum on Matchday 8 and there were enough signs in that game to convince the wily tactician that the visitors to the BayArena on Sunday can cause their hosts problems.
Despite not enjoying an equally prolific start to the campaign compared to recent seasons, the Black Forest side are in the top half of the table and have the likes of Vincenzo Grifo and Ritsu Doan hitting form at just the right time.
The one complaint Streich had against Bochum was that Freiburg "weren't clinical enough.
" Should chances come their way against the division pace setters this weekend, Freiburg - whose long term injury list includes captain Christian Gunter and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh - will have to take them.
Watch: The best of Bayer's Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo Match stats Alonso is set to take charge of his 50th competitive fixture with Leverkusen.
His Bundesliga record in 34 games is 20 wins, seven draws and seven defeats for an average of 1.
97 points - only Dortmund's Edin Terzic currently has a better record (2.
09, min.
two games).
Frimpong (three goals, four assists) and Grimaldo (three goals, three assists) are by far the top two defenders in Fantasy with 113 and 112 points respectively.
However, Frimpong is yet to contribute a goal in four games against Freiburg.
Leverkusen's record at home in the Bundesliga this season is four wins, 15 goals scored and four conceded, netting at least three times in each of them.
Only twice before have Bayer won their first five home games of a campaign (1986/87 and 2003/04).
Grifo has been directly involved in each of Freiburg's last six Bundesliga goals, scoring two and setting up four.
He has three goals and six assists against Leverkusen.
Freiburg have won three of their last five encounters with Leverkusen (D1, L1).
However, the Black Forest club have never won away against the team sitting first in the Bundesliga in 24 attempts (D3, L21) and haven't earned a point since a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen in April 2004.
Get Frimpong for your Fantasy team for 16.
1M!Probable teams Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba - Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo - Hofmann, Wirtz - BonifaceOut: Arthur (thigh)Doubtful: Fosu-Mensah (knee)Coach: Xabi AlonsoFreiburg: Atubolu - Ginter, Lienhart, Gulde - Sallai, Eggestein, Hofler, Kubler - Doan, Grifo (c) - HolerOut: Gunter (broken arm), Kyereh (knee)Doubtful: Keitel (groin)Coach: Christian Streich.
