SC Freiburg are the new leaders of the Bundesliga, and they got there a player short. Keisuke Goto’s header five minutes from time gave Julian Schuster’s side a 2-1 home win over Schalke on Sunday, lifting them above Borussia Dortmund on goal difference after five rounds. Both clubs have 13 points.
The opener came early. Loris Karius kept out Matthias Ginter’s header from a corner, but captain Maximilian Eggestein was first to the rebound on ten minutes. Freiburg controlled possession for most of the first half, yet Schalke levelled with their first effort on target, Adrian Gantenbein’s strike after another corner taking a deflection past Mio Backhaus.
The visitors grew bolder after the interval and Moussa Sylla went close. Then, on 64 minutes, Freiburg’s Yuito Suzuki was sent off for a second booking. Schalke never made the extra man count, even after Edin Dzeko came on. Schuster threw on Vincenzo Grifo and Goto instead, and the two substitutes combined for the winner: Grifo crossed and the 21-year-old Japanese forward headed in.
Schuster said the manner of the win pleased him more than the table, praising his players for embracing the challenge with ten men. Schalke coach Miron Muslic felt his side had played a strong away game until the red card changed everything. It is not the first time Freiburg have led after five matchdays; they did so in 2022-23 as well.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Cologne edged Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 in the Rhine derby through Said El Mala, leaving Gladbach pointless under new coach Alexander Blessin. Freiburg’s next test is a trip to Bayer Leverkusen.
