16th play 13th in the Bundesliga table at the Mage Solar Stadion this weekend, as Christian Streich's SC Freiburg host Hamburger SV - just two points above them. With the league table so tight in the current campaign, three points would be vital for both teams.
Streich's Freiburg are in poor form, sitting inside the relegation zone after collecting just 13 points from their 14 games this season. Just three points separate the bottom seven sides, and thus it is important for Streich's side to turn around their form imminently. Freiburg have not won a game in three attempts, drawing with Mainz 05, getting heavily beat 4-1 by bottom side VfB Stuttgart, then letting slip a 1-0 lead late on against Paderborn last weekend to share the points. It is inexcusable, and the pressure is mounting on the Freiburg boss.
Josef Zinnbauer is not in a much better position, as Hamburg sit just 13th in the Bundesliga table - a mere two points adrift of the relegation zone. With the positions so close, the second-half of the Bundesliga season promises to be a classic, as the sides approach their winter break. For Zinnbauer, three points away at Freiburg would be a huge pre-Christmas boost.
It is Hamburg's away form, however, that is the problem. Successful home victories against Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen - and a 2-1 win last week over Mainz - have kept Hamburg's head above water, but they have been off-set by away losses to Woflsburg and FC Augsburg in the same time period. Zinnbauer must hope his side finds some away form heading into the game against Freiburg, because a loss on Saturday would send them sliding right back down the Bundesliga table once more. The German league is tighter than ever before.