SC Freiburg returned to the top of the 2. Bundesliga standings with an impressive 5-2 home win against Greuther Fürth on Sunday afternoon.
The home side made two changes to their previous 1-1 stalemate against Baden rivals Karlsruher SC. Vincenzo Grifo and Lucas Hufnagel replaced Karim Guédé and the suspended Mensur Mujdza.
The away side, coming into this match on the back of a 0-5 home humbling from leaders VfL Bochum, made three changes to their line-up. Robert Zulj, Johannes Wurtz and former SC attacker Sebastian Freis replaced Marco Stiepermann, Stephan Schröck and Goran Sukalo.
The third best home record in the division took on the seventh best away record. Freiburg had taken 10 points from a possible 15 at home, while Fürth had taken eight from a possible 15 away from home.
A slow start
The game began slowly, with neither side really on the front foot, but just weighing each other up. Freiburg did, however, create one half chance. A throw-in down the right hand side, and a neat flick from Frantz to Hufnagel provided the young winger with space to take aim, but he dragged his tame effort wide of the near post.
Fürth got themselves into the game a little more and a cross from the left just evaded the on-rushing Freis.
Shortly after, Freiburg won a free-kick about 35 yards from goal. A neatly worked set-piece resulted in Grifo firing a shot, that looked to be flying into the top right hand corner, but Sebastian Mielitz in the Fürth goal was equal to it. The scoreline remained 0-0 at the 20 minute mark.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium, but it was Freiburg who again went close. An over-hit Mike Frantz cross fell to Grifo at the back, he cut back in side and saw his shot deflected behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
Freiburg lead
Right on the stroke of half-time, Freiburg were rewarded for all their pressure. Amir Abrashi won a free-kick down the right hand side. Free-kick specialist Grifo whipped a ball into the penalty area which was met in the air acrobatically by Marc-Oliver Kempf, who directed the ball into the path of Immanuel Höhn and he prodded home from close range. Just reward for the home side who'd been in firm control of the first-half.
Die Kleeblatter started the second-half the brighter and twice drew saves from Alexander Schwolow in between the Freiburg sticks.
Freiburg double their lead
Despite Fürth's bright start to the second-half, it was Freiburg who doubled their lead. In fact, it came from a Fürth attack, but a quick counter-attaching move saw Petersen play in Philipp down the right flank. He dribbled with the ball before cutting inside and firing goalwards. His effort took a sizeable deflection and wrong-footed Mielitz in the process.
Cruise control
Freiburg all but put the game to bed on the hour mark. Two goals in the space of 60 seconds saw the hosts storm into a 4-0 lead. Firstly, Grifo struck a delightful free-kick from 30 yards out which smashed the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line.
Then, just moments after the restart, Grifo capitalised on a defensive mix-up in the Greuther Fürth defence, and rushed through the slot beyond the helpless Mielitz. 4-0 to Die Breisgauer.
In the 66th minute, Fürth grabbed a consolation goal through Sebastian Freis. A lobbed ball towards Freis, who had peeled off on the corner of the box, and he finished low at Schwolow's near post to make it 4-1.
Game over
In the 75th minute, SC Freiburg put the game to bed. Top scorer Nils Petersen got in on the act and finished beyond Mielitz, who'd had another miserable game in between the posts for Fürth. Freiburg were well on their way to returning to the top of the 2. Bundesliga standings.
However, they wouldn't do that without conceding once again. Veton Berisha tapped home in the 88th minute to reduce the arrears once again. The scoreline now stood at 5-2.
And that's how it finished. The home side lifted themselves back to the top of the 2. Bundesliga with a convincing win over a Fürth side, who've shipped 10 goals in just two matches now, and slip to eighth position.