SC Freiburg 3-1 VfB Stuttgart: Lukas Kubler brace inspires hosts to impressive victory

Freiburg commenced Julian Schuster’s tenure with an impressive 3-1 triumph over Stuttgart at the Europa-Park Stadion, marking an unbeaten streak in their last six opening Bundesliga matches for the Breisgau-Brasilianer.

In light of their esteemed former coach Christian Streich's retirement, Freiburg entered this season under new management for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign.

Schuster’s inaugural league match began in a disheartening manner, as the team conceded a goal merely two minutes into the contest. The goal was executed with remarkable skill, as Ermedin Demirovic delivered an acrobatic scissor kick that found the bottom-right corner, leaving Florian Müller unable to react.

Following their early setback, Stuttgart controlled possession, yet Freiburg equalized just before the half-hour mark when Lukas Kubler scored for the Breisgau-Brasilianer.

This goal was set up by Chukwubuike Adamu, who located Kubler at the edge of the box, enabling him to unleash a precise low shot across the goal into the bottom-left corner.

After leveling the score, the hosts gained confidence and came close to taking the lead ten minutes prior to halftime, as Merlin Rohl made a penetrating run into the box and attempted a shot, only to be thwarted by Alexander Nübel.

Freiburg maintained their offensive pressure for an additional goal following the halftime interval, successfully scoring nine minutes into the second half. Ritsu Doan managed to nudge the ball over the line from close range after receiving a well-placed cross from captain Christian Gunter.

The situation worsened for Sebastian Hoeness’ team, as they conceded another goal just seven minutes later, with Kubler finding the back of the net once more.

On this occasion, the full-back elevated himself to head the ball just inside the left post, thanks to a precisely executed corner from Vincenzo Grifo.

As the match approached its final moments, the hosts continued to dominate, nearly adding to their tally with 15 minutes left when Roland Sallai forced Nubel into a desperate dive across the goal. However, the Hungarian's shot from the edge of the box narrowly missed the left post.

Freiburg managed to control the remainder of the match with relative comfort, securing a victory on the opening day, following their 4-0 triumph in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.

Looking ahead, Freiburg will have to wait until next Sunday to seek their first points of the season, as they face the formidable challenge of traveling to the Allianz Arena to take on Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich.