FEATURE | Freiburg’s unbeaten start shows their recent success is no coincidence

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Freiburg entered the 2026/27 season facing another difficult question: after reaching the UEFA Europa League final and qualifying for Europe again, could Julian Schuster’s team maintain those standards?

Four Bundesliga matches into the new campaign, the answer has been emphatic.

The Breisgau club are unbeaten with three wins and one draw, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three. Victories over Werder Bremen, Paderborn and Borussia Mönchengladbach were followed by a 2-2 draw away at Eintracht Frankfurt, leaving Schuster’s side with 10 points from a possible 12.

Freiburg continue to outperform expectations

The most impressive aspect of Freiburg’s start is that it no longer feels surprising.

Schuster inherited an enormous challenge when he succeeded Christian Streich, but Freiburg have continued progressing. A fifth-place finish in his first season was followed by seventh place in 2025/26, alongside runs to the DFB-Pokal semi-finals and the Europa League final.

This season has started with similar consistency.

Freiburg beat Bremen 4-1 on Matchday 1 before showing a different side of their game with a narrow 1-0 victory at Paderborn. They then dismantled Gladbach 5-0 before twice coming from behind to earn a point in Frankfurt.

That ability to win matches in different ways is an important characteristic of a team hoping to remain around the European positions.

Another European challenge?

Freiburg’s success remains built around continuity rather than dramatic changes. Schuster has preserved the collective identity established over many years while gradually developing his own version of the team.

The next few weeks should reveal considerably more.

Schalke visit Freiburg this weekend before Schuster’s team face Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern in consecutive Bundesliga matches. Those games will provide a much clearer indication of whether their unbeaten start can develop into another serious European campaign.

There will inevitably be difficult periods, particularly with European football adding further demands to the schedule. However, Freiburg have spent enough time competing near the top end of the Bundesliga for their success to stop being treated as an unexpected story.

Four matches do not define a season, but 10 points from 12 provide another reminder that Freiburg have become one of German football’s most consistently well-run and competitive clubs.

GGFN | Felipe