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SC Freiburg midfielder Maximilian Eggestein was in excellent spirits following Sunday evening’s dramatic 2-1 Bundesliga victory over FC Schalke 04. The 29-year-old opened the scoring in the tenth minute as Julian Schuster’s side overcame a second-half dismissal to reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga table.
Eggestein played the full 90 minutes, covering an impressive 12.26 kilometres. The Freiburg vice-captain registered two shots, including his goal, completed 75 percent of his 40 attempted passes and contested 14 individual duels. The performance offered another example of the midfielder’s importance to the side, something Eggestein himself discussed at length in a recent interview about what makes the perfect Freiburg player.
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after Sunday’s victory, Eggestein was asked about Freiburg’s upcoming UEFA Conference League opener against Czech side FK Jablonec on Thursday evening. The midfielder was somewhat caught off guard when a reporter suggested that tickets might still be available for the European encounter.
“Is that right?” Eggestein asked.
After the reporter confirmed his understanding of the situation, the Freiburg midfielder issued a spontaneous invitation to supporters.
“Then everyone should come along!” Eggestein replied. “I don’t think it happens very often that there are still a few tickets available for one of our matches. And that makes it another good opportunity to come to the stadium.”
“We know that we’ve got difficult away matches coming up afterwards,” Eggestein concluded. “So I think it’s all the more important to start well in the Conference League, especially because there are only six matches, compared with the eight we used to have in the Europa League.”
“So, yes, that makes the home match particularly important.”
Maximilian Eggestein praises Gotō and Grifo after Schalke winner
Before turning his attention to European football, Eggestein also had plenty of reasons to celebrate Sunday’s victory. Freiburg overcame Yuito Suzuki’s 64th-minute dismissal to secure all three points through an 85th-minute winner from substitute Keisuke Gotō.
The decisive goal came courtesy of two players introduced by Schuster during the second half. Vincenzo Grifo, who entered in the 83rd minute, delivered a precise cross from the left flank for Gotō to head home from close range.
Grifo’s decisive contribution also earned him Get German Football News’ Player of the Match award, while Eggestein carried home the official MOTM ball issued by the Bundesliga.
Speaking in the mixed zone, Eggestein was amused by Gotō’s enthusiastic celebration.
“He certainly celebrated accordingly, the good man!” Eggestein joked. “And we don’t really need to talk about Vinci’s right foot. I think it’s something worth highlighting today. A superb cross and a great headed finish.”
The interview subsequently took a humorous turn when a reporter asked Eggestein whether red-haired players were better at heading the ball than those with darker hair.
“I’ve never had red hair, so I have no idea,” Eggestein replied. “I don’t know what that feels like.”
When the reporter pointed to the headed exploits of his teammate, Eggestein remained unconvinced.
“I don’t know,” he laughed. “I think we’ve also had a few players with black hair score headers.”
The victory completed a memorable afternoon for Eggestein, who had earlier opened the scoring after Loris Karius saved Matthias Ginter’s header from a Freiburg corner. Schuster’s side now have little time to savour their return to the Bundesliga summit before turning their attention to European competition.
Thursday’s meeting with Jablonec offers Freiburg the opportunity to carry their domestic momentum into the Conference League. And, as Eggestein made clear, supporters still considering attending the match are more than welcome to join the occasion.
GGFN | Peter Weis
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