Sitting atop the Bundesliga table for already the second time this campaign, Julian Schuster's Freiburg have enjoyed a record-breaking start to the 2026/27...
Leading the league for the second time this season, Schuster’s Freiburg have smashed records. Yet on Matchday 6 they face a Leverkusen side that scores at will under Carles Martínez. Can they hold onto the top spot?
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Billed as a meeting between a team firmly established among Germany’s elite and a new‑look contender still discovering how high its ceiling really is, the prevailing question is whether Freiburg’s superb early‑season form can withstand one of the toughest tests in German football: a trip to the BayArena.
Arriving in Leverkusen as league leaders may lead many to label Freiburg as nominal favourites on paper, but it’s important to recognise that this comes with its own caveats. Their dramatic 2–1 home victory over Schalke on Matchday 5 — in which Keisuke Gotō netted a late winner after Yuito Suzuki was sent off for the hosts — may have seen the Breisgauers rise to the Bundesliga summit, but this is a feat Freiburg have only managed four times before in their history.
Watch: Highlights from Freiburg’s win over Schalke
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The Black Forest outfit have never defended the summit, so their 13 points from five games – a club best – now usher them into a far tougher phase. After a gentle opening run, Matchday 6 pits them against a fellow European contender for the first time.
European tests dominate Freiburg’s upcoming weeks. Before heading to BayArena, they opened their Conference League at home against Czech side Jablonec, winning 3‑1. A trip to Monaco follows the Leverkusen clash, then a home game versus champions Bayern Munich on Matchday 7. This is their chance to prove they belong among the Bundesliga elite.
Freiburg have posted their strongest Bundesliga start ever in points and goals. – Bundesliga
Leverkusen have quietly built momentum. Though their opening‑day 3‑2 loss to Elversberg cast a shadow, no side has amassed more than the Werkself’s 10 points from a possible 12 since then. In my view, Leverkusen’s silent surge could surprise the league.
Sitting fourth, the hosts know a win over league leaders would lift them higher and sustain their sharp rise. Martínez’s squad also balances continental duties, having just thrashed Lech Poznań 4‑0 in the Europa League, and will draw confidence from BayArena’s atmosphere.
Leverkusen remain unbeaten at home in the league, keeping a clean sheet while routing Union Berlin 4‑0 and RB Leipzig 2‑0 in their two home games.
Leverkusen enter Matchday 6 as the Bundesliga’s hottest form. – IMAGO/HMB Media/Claus
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Freiburg rely on talisman Igor Matanović, whose strength, movement and pressing — plus three goals and an assist — have added a new edge. He’ll face added pressure to deliver in Leverkusen, especially with top scorer Suzuki (four) suspended after his red card against Schalke. You’ll be hoping he steps up.
History adds intrigue: Freiburg are winless in seven meetings with Leverkusen, their last triumph a 3‑2 BayArena victory in September 2022 under Christian Streich, which briefly lifted them to the top. A repeat would cement their claim as genuine top‑four contenders and show first place isn’t fleeting.
Will this clash decide which side will dominate the early race, or will the season still hold surprises?
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