Reading both teams form guides for this game made grim reading, 1860 sit bottom of 2. Bundesliga having lost their last 3 whilst Freiburg sit 2nd bottom in the Bundesliga having lost their last 2. Both sides were hoping to put their poorleague form behind them and give their fans something to shout about.
A relatively quiet opening 10 minutes greeted the fans in the Allianz Arena as neither side threatened and the ball spent most of its time in the middle of the park. In the 10th minute we saw our first opportunity on goal as Vladimir Darida received the ball inside the box and spun but his effort from a tight angle was high and wide. The excitement began in earnest in the 15th minute when 1860 countered and Daniel Adlung headed on for Valdet Rama to run onto before the Albanian midfielder finished coolly past the onrushing Sebastian Mielitz. Freiburg nearly replied five minutes later with a costless kick won by Sebastian Kerk after he was fouled by Kai Bülow on the edge of the box, Bülow was booked for the challenge. Admir Mehmedi rolled the ball to Felix Klaus but the winger’s shot from the edge of the box was just over.
1860 didn’t learn their lesson from that chance as only three minutes later Daylon Claasen was booked for holding back left-back Christian Günter although this time the costless kick was a bit closer to the sideline. Kerk took the costless-kick and crossed the ball low and as Stefan Ortega reached out to take it Sebastian Freis slid in and knocked it home bringing his side level. This allowed Freiburg to gain the upper hand in the game and only a minute later they countered as Mehmedi fed Klaus but the young German dragged his shot badly. Freiburg once again came forward three minutes later when their initial cross was cleared only as far as Günter whose long-range effort was only just past the post.
Despite the Black Forest side’s dominance, 1860 did have chances. Rama intercepted a poor pass from Darida before cutting inside and shooting just wide and Martin Angha had a shot deflected off of Stefan Mitrović onto the post, and the ball went out for a corner but it came to nothing. Their best chance in the remaining minutes of the first-half fell once again to Rama after a brilliant cross from Adlung found Rubin Okotie and the Austrian spun twice before his shot was blocked and fell to Rama on the edge of the box but he sent his effort over.
1860 had the first chance after the interval when a beautiful long ball played through Okotie but he couldn’t really control it and as a result sent his shot over, a common theme for 1860 in the game. Freiburg then had the first penalty appeal of the game when Admir Mehmedi found himself in space inside the box and Ortega came out to meet him the Swiss striker knocked it past him before going to the ground. The penalty wasn’t given and Ortega’s angry reaction to Mehmedi suggests that he was making the most of the contact if there was any at all.
The Lions then had a wonderful chance to put themselves back in the lead in the 55th minute when Adlung had a shot hit the crossbar and the rebound fell to Rama who after controlling managed to knock it past the keeper. But to frustration of the Munich fans it was just past the post. Okotie was furious with his teammate for not passing because if Rama had just slid the ball across to him then he would’ve had an open goal and unlike Rama he was under no pressure from the defenders.
They were made to pay for their wastefulness as only moments later Mehmedi got the first of his three goals when Freiburg countered down the right with Klaus playing the ball down the line for Darida. Who despite the challenge of Sebastian Hertner managed run to the end of the pitch before cutting back and passing to Mehmedi who controlled it with his first touch before striking it home into the boottom corner leaving Ortega with no chance.
A few minutes later Ilie Sanchez ran into the Freiburg box and went down claiming a penalty but again the referee didn’t give it which allowed Freiburg to counter and nearly score but they weren’t going to be denied their third for long. Mehmedi headed home his second of the game about a minute later when an almost identical counter to the one that led to the first goal left Freis with the ball on the right hand side and he crossed it perfectly for Mehmedi who only had to direct it towards goal from about one-yard out.
1860 did manage to get themselves back into the game in the 68th minute when a corner from Adlung found Okotie in the box and the striker headed home whilst still managing to hold off Günter. Their comeback was nearly stopped immediately when Julian Weigl delivered a poor back pass that was intercepted by Freis but the recovering Ortega saved his shot. The game was then stopped for a couple of minutes when both Mitrović and Weigl went in for a challenge. Both players went in fairly but in his follow-through both of Weigl’s knees went into the side of Mitrović’s chest and the Serbian defender appeared to be in great discomfort as he immediately returned to the ground when he tried to stand.
Freiburg then grabbed their fourth of the evening after some quick inter-play in the midfield allowed Kerk to pull the ball back for Darida - whose shot was blocked but the Czech midfielder passed the rebound to substitute Jonathan Schmid. The Frenchman hit it first time across the keeper into the far corner. Mehmedi then got his hat trick and finished off the game in the 88th minute when a Sascha Riether found its way to him on the edge of the box. He allowed the ball to run across him before hitting it hard and low into the bottom corner.