SC Freiburg kicked off the new Bundesliga season with a convincing 4-1 home victory over Werder Bremen. Japanese forward Yuito Suzuki scored his first career hat-trick in the league, proving to be the decisive figure for the Breisgau club. This was reported by Sueddeutsche Sport on Saturday.
The team managed by Christian Streich, which finished seventh last season with 47 points, delivered a strong performance from the outset. In front of a sold-out crowd of 34,700 at the Europa-Park Stadion, Freiburg led 2-0 at halftime. Suzuki opened the scoring in the 29th minute before Igor Matanovic added a second in the 45th. After the break, Suzuki completed his showcase with goals in the 48th and 55th minutes. His 26th Bundesliga appearance thus became his most significant to date.
Who was the key player for Freiburg?
Yuito Suzuki was the absolute key figure of the match. His three goals were not only decisive in quantity but also a sign of his growing importance to the team. His first goal came from a Jan-Niklas Beste corner, with further assists provided by Derry Scherhant and goalscorer Matanovic. This hat-trick came at the perfect time, as the team had only qualified for the Conference League group stage on Thursday and needed positive momentum for the league. Freiburg's attack, which scored 51 goals last season but conceded 57, showed its efficient side on the night.
Goalkeeper Mio Backhaus, a former Werder player, had a quiet evening and only conceded a consolation goal to Dariusz Stalmach in the 76th minute. The defence looked solid, which is reassuring news for the management after the transfer of former first-choice keeper Noah Atubolu to league rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. The current squad composition can be viewed on our squad page.
What problems does Werder Bremen have?
For Werder Bremen, the defeat was a heavy setback to start the season. Coach Daniel Thioune also had to cope without the injured key player Jens Stage. The Danish midfielder is out for months with a serious muscle injury and is likely to be sidelined until the end of the year. "He is an absolute key performer and is hard to replace," said Thioune. Sporting director Clemens Fritz called the injury "a huge shock" and confirmed the club is looking for a replacement for Stage. According to a report by the magazine Kicker, Werder intends to loan Youri Regeer from Ajax Amsterdam.
A silver lining was the return of Niclas Füllkrug. The 33-year-old striker, who last played in the German top flight in May 2024, recently returned on loan from English relegated side West Ham United. Four days after his signing, he contributed a penalty in a 3-0 DFB-Pokal win against lower-league side Lüneburger SK Hansa. Against Freiburg, he was substituted in the 61st minute for Cedric Itten.
What's next for SC Freiburg?
The opening win gives SC Freiburg perfect momentum for the upcoming challenges. The team is still in seventh place from last year in the standings, but the three points are an important foundation. The focus now shifts to the next competitive match. On 5 September 2026, they travel to face newly-promoted SC Paderborn 07. This match is the next step to continue the positive dynamic from the season start and establish themselves early in the table. With a 42-point gap to record champions Bayern Munich from last season, the title is not a realistic target, but international qualification via the league remains a clear ambition for this campaign.
