SC Freiburg – RasenBallsport Leipzig: Vintage Leipzig Destroy Freiburg On The Night (1-5)

The two finalists of last year's DFB Pokal crossed paths in tournament once again, this time with a spot in the big match in Berlin on the line. Freiburg would have come seeking revenge after their penalty shoot-out heartbreak last year, but they found themselves completely outplayed against a vintage Leipzig side.

Tactical analysis and match report by Neel Shelat.

Once again, Freiburg are having a jolly good season. Their first full season at Europa-Park not only featured a European campaign that lasted past the turn of the year, but also had yet another memorable Pokal run as well as a serious charge for Champions League football next season. In fact, at the time of this match, they occupied fourth position in the league with a two-point buffer ahead of Leipzig, so the dream of Tuesday night football was very much on in Breisgau.

Leipzig’s season has been a bit shakier on the whole - largely due to their poor start under Domenico Tedesco - but Marco Rose has come in and steered them to a decent position. They did advance to the Champions League knockouts (but were then humbled by Manchester City), as well as recovering in the league to get back in the race for the top four whilst also putting up a good title defense in the Pokal. So, it all boils down to this final stretch for them.

Ultimately, the fundamental differences between the two sides is why their seasons currently are very different even though . . .