Osterhage and Eggestein fire Freiburg past Basel in “international derby”

SC Freiburg made it three wins in a row with a 2-1 victory over Basel in the Europa League, with their midfield duo of Patrick Osterhage and Maximilian Eggestein delivering the decisive goals.

Dubbed an “international derby” by Julian Schuster, with only 73km separating the two cities, the contest carried added weight as Joachim Löw watched on at Europa-Park Stadion. 

Freiburg had stuttered to start the season but roared back with wins over Stuttgart and Werder Bremen, and they continued their revival with another confident showing. While Basel fans arrived with a fantastic contingent, making the short trip over the German-Swiss border.

Basel started brightly, forcing an early save from Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu in just the second minute. Albian Ajeti’s header inside the box looked destined for the net, but Flekken judged the bounce perfectly and tipped it away for a RotBlau corner.

Freiburg took a little over five minutes to find their rhythm, gradually settling into the game’s expected pattern, with the hosts asserting more control as the first half progressed. By the 25th minute, neither side had created a clear-cut chance, and the contest remained evenly poised.

The breakthrough came in the 30th minute. Manzambi won possession 35 yards from goal and fed Vincenzo Grifo. The ball eventually fell to Patrick Osterhage on the edge of the box, and the midfielder side-footed a precise shot into the bottom-left corner – his first goal since April – sending the home supporters into jubilant celebration.

The second half began in a similar rhythm, scrappy and lacking fluency, until Freiburg again produced a decisive moment. In the 56th minute, Grifo whipped in a teasing cross which Maximilian Eggestein powered towards goal with a thumping header. 

Basel goalkeeper Mirko Salvi appeared to have produced a stunning save, but referee Luis Godinho quickly signalled that the ball had crossed the line, handing Freiburg a 2-0 advantage.

It was hardly a vintage performance, yet Freiburg’s midfield partnership had them in full control. Basel enjoyed spells of possession but struggled to seriously test Atubolu, while their noisy travelling contingent ensured the atmosphere never dipped.

Eggestein, now captaining the side, almost had a second when his close-range effort drew another strong stop from Salvi, just as the Südtribüne erupted in red smoke for the third time of the night.

The Swiss visitors did find a late lifeline in the 84th minute when Philip Otele curled a stunning strike into the top corner for his second goal in European competition. But Freiburg held firm in the closing stages, sealing a third straight win in all competitions and a valuable start to their Europa League campaign.