SC Freiburg moved into 11th place in the UEFA Conference League league phase table with a 1-0 away win over Trabzonspor in northeastern Turkey, a result that extends the German side’s winning streak to three matches across all competitions, sportschau.de reported. The victory, secured by a 14th-minute goal from Lukas Kübler at the Arena am Schwarzen Meer, gives Freiburg three points in the race for a knockout-round berth with five league-phase matches remaining.
The match turned on Freiburg’s ability to protect a narrow lead against a Trabzonspor side built around Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, the 34-year-old former Liverpool star who missed several clear chances, including one from close range in the 61st minute that Freiburg goalkeeper Mio Backhaus saved. n-tv.de reported that Backhaus, 22, repeatedly frustrated Salah, with teammate Igor Matanovic telling RTL that the goalkeeper “held unbelievably today” and that “even Salah could hardly believe it.”
Kübler’s Early Strike Settles a Tense Night in Trabzon
Freiburg started the brighter of the two sides, running a high press that dominated the opening phase, sportschau.de reported. Maximilian Eggestein forced the first save of the night, his 18-meter strike missing the goal of Trabzonspor goalkeeper André Onana in the 12th minute. Two minutes later the ball found the net: after a corner, Onana parried a header from Igor Matanovic and Kübler followed up to score. n-tv.de listed the goal in the 17th minute, a discrepancy with sportschau.de’s 14th-minute account; both outlets agree Kübler scored after Matanovic’s header was spilled.
Trabzonspor, coached by Thomas Reis, gradually found their footing. Their first real chance came in the 26th minute when Salah’s free kick sailed over Backhaus’s goal. Another big chance fell to Salah in the 61st minute: the Egypt international failed from close range against goalkeeper Backhaus. Freiburg nearly doubled their lead before halftime when Vincenzo Grifo’s curling effort in the 43rd minute missed by centimeters, sportschau.de reported.
Backhaus Stands Tall as Salah Misses from Point-Blank Range
The second half brought the decisive moment. In the 61st minute, a corner was headed by Paul Onuachu into the five-meter area, where Salah had a gilt-edged chance to equalize but fired straight at Backhaus from the closest of distances, sportschau.de reported. n-tv.de described the sequence as one of several “great” saves by the Germany U21 international, who also denied Salah from close range on other occasions.
Salah, who scored 193 Premier League goals during his time in England, according to n-tv.de, was left visibly frustrated. Backhaus, signed from Werder Bremen in the summer, declined to celebrate his own performance, telling reporters: “I’m happy about the three points here,” n-tv.de reported. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster praised the collective effort rather than singling out his goalkeeper, saying: “Mio, but also the center-backs and the whole unit — that was an outstanding performance.” Schuster also noted the unusual statistic that there were more whistles against the home team than against his side: “We managed here to have more fouls called against the other team than against us.”
Makengo’s Duel with Salah: From Console to Real Life
Jordy Makengo, who recently became a Congo international, played a key role on the flank against Salah. Sueddeutsche reported that Makengo, an avid gamer, said of facing the Egyptian in person: “Now I’m playing against him in real life. That’s unbelievable and makes me very happy.” Makengo added that it was “incredible” to have played against Salah, whom he had previously only controlled on a games console.
What the Result Changes for Freiburg and Trabzonspor
The win lifts Freiburg to 11th in the Conference League phase table, sportschau.de reported, keeping them in contention for the knockout phase places. For Trabzonspor, the defeat leaves them without points from this fixture, though GazeteFutbol’s pre-match reporting quoted coach Thomas Reis acknowledging he knew Freiburg well and expected a high-pressing challenge: “Freiburg is a team I know very well. They put great pressure on the opponent and have a strong pressing.” Reis also noted his side had injury absences but framed them as opportunities for other players.
Freiburg’s next Conference League fixture is at home against Twente Enschede on Nov. 26 at 21:00, sportschau.de reported. Before that, on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 17:30, Schuster’s side face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. Makengo, per Sueddeutsche, said the team must “stay with it” after the exertion in Turkey, while Matanovic said he was accustomed to the rhythm and ready for Sunday.
Missed Chances That Defined the Night
Matanovic, set through by Philipp Lienhart in the 21st minute, had a clear chance to make it 2-0 but his shot was blocked by defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, sportschau.de reported. Matanovic later joked about Kübler’s goal, telling Sueddeutsche: “If you ask me what a Kübi goal looks like, I’ll show you exactly that,” adding that Kübler “is often simply in exactly the right place.”
In the closing stages, Freiburg were pushed deeper into their own half and Trabzonspor enjoyed the bulk of possession, but the visitors’ defense held firm and referee Kristo Tohver blew for full time, sportschau.de reported.
Freiburg Face Twente at Home on Nov. 26
Freiburg’s Conference League campaign continues on Nov. 26 at 21:00 against Twente Enschede at home, with the Bundesliga match against Union Berlin on Nov. 8 at 17:30 providing an immediate test of the momentum gained in Trabzon.
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