SC Freiburg narrowly avoided relegation in a season which will overall be seen as very disappointing for the club which finished seventh in the previous season. Christian Streich’s side were one of the surprises in the 2016/2017 season, finishing in fourth and entering the Europa League just after returning to the top division.
But an early exit from Europe was a sign of the struggles ahead as the side made a slow start, not winning until round 7. The team spent much of the season flirting with the relegation zone, and only secured their safety on the final day after a win over Augsburg.
Streich added depth to his squad at the beginning of the season with six fresh signings, though what they lacked was quality. Few players stood out early in the campaign, but importantly they did well at home and were unbeaten there until the round 11 visit of Schalke.
Away however was a very different matter and throughout the entire season they only managed a single win and 6 draws. A run of 8 games without a win appeared to be the final nail in the coffin for Streich’s side, but at just the right moment they managed to beat Köln to climb out of the bottom three with two games to go.
While the massive squad generally provided very few players who stood out, ultimately Nils Petersen made his voice heard. The former German U21 player started off slowly and had only scored 2 goals before the round 15 fixture against Köln.
Petersen scored a hat-trick in that match and went on to score half the team’s goals in the season. He was by far the best player in the squad and will need to do well again next season if the club are to survive.
