Match Information
Match Overview
Bayer Leverkusen host SC Freiburg at the BayArena on October 18 in Bundesliga Regular Season - Round 6, a fixture between the fourth-placed and first-placed teams in the table. Matchday 6 is early enough for the season to still be taking shape, but a meeting of two top-four sides carries clear weight for the race at the top.
The primary storyline is the contrast in league position and the strong form on both sides. Freiburg lead the table, and Leverkusen sit four places below them in fourth. Freiburg's Bundesliga results include a 5-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on September 12, a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on September 19, and a 2-1 home win over FC Schalke 04 on October 11. Leverkusen have won their last two league matches, 2-0 against RB Leipzig on September 20 and a 4-3 win at FSV Mainz 05 on October 10, after a 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg on September 12. That Mainz result shows Leverkusen can score freely, but it also shows they conceded three times.
The secondary factor is the schedule. Both teams played in Europe on October 15. Leverkusen won 4-0 away at Lech Poznan in the UEFA Europa League, and Freiburg beat FK Jablonec 3-2 at home in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Leverkusen's trip to Poland meant travel, while Freiburg played at home, which is relevant to rest and rotation, though the data does not show how either side will use its squad.
Neither club has reported any unavailable players, so both managers, Carles Martínez of Leverkusen and Julian Schuster of Freiburg, should have their full squads to choose from. That is a notable point for a match between two sides that have both used their depth in midweek European games.
Recent head-to-head results have been close. The most recent meeting, on March 7, 2026, finished 3-3 at Freiburg. Leverkusen's attack against Freiburg's league-leading form should make for an engaging contest.
Predicted Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen
Flekken; Lucas Vázquez, Badé, Tapsoba, Miguel Gutiérrez; Fernández, Aleix García; Tella, Tillman, Maza; Terrier
SC Freiburg
Backhaus; Kübler, Ginter, Rosenfelder, Günter; Eggestein, Osterhage; Irié, Suzuki, Grifo; Höler
Team Form Analysis
Bayer Leverkusen
League Position: 4Bayer Leverkusen Form Analysis
Leverkusen have won their last four matches in all competitions, and their trajectory is positive. Their recent run reads: a 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg on September 12, a 2-0 Europa League home win over Celje on September 16, a 2-0 Bundesliga home win over RB Leipzig on September 20, a 4-3 win at FSV Mainz 05 on October 10, and a 4-0 Europa League win at Lech Poznan on October 15.
The attacking output is strong. Leverkusen scored 14 goals in those five matches, including four in each of their last two games. The defensive record is less tidy. They kept clean sheets against Celje, Leipzig and Lech Poznan, but conceded twice at Augsburg and three times at Mainz, so they have let in goals in both of their league away games in this sample.
In the Bundesliga, they have a draw and two wins from three matches shown, with the Leipzig and Mainz results coming in the last two league outings. Their European fixtures have added two more wins, and the October 15 match against Lech Poznan came just three days before this fixture. The overall picture is of a side scoring freely and picking up results.
SC Freiburg
League Position: 1SC Freiburg Form Analysis
Freiburg arrive as league leaders, and their recent results back that up. Of their last five matches, they won four and drew one. The draw was a 2-2 league match at Eintracht Frankfurt on September 19. Their other results include a 5-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on September 12, a 2-1 home win over FC Schalke 04 on October 11, and a 3-2 Europa Conference League home win over FK Jablonec on October 15. They also beat FC Luzern 4-2 in a club friendly on October 3, though that match carries less competitive weight.
Freiburg scored 16 goals across these five matches, a high return. The defensive record shows some vulnerability: they conceded in every one of their last four matches, including twice against Frankfurt, Luzern and Jablonec, and once against Schalke. Their only clean sheet in this sample came in the 5-0 win over Gladbach.
Freiburg's league form includes two wins and a draw in three matches, and all of their most recent matches in this sample were at home apart from the Frankfurt draw. They have not yet been shown playing a Bundesliga away match since that Frankfurt trip, so the BayArena visit is a significant test.
Head-to-Head
Bayer Leverkusen
SC Freiburg
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-07 | SC Freiburg | 3 - 3 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2025-10-26 | Bayer Leverkusen | 2 - 0 | SC Freiburg |
| 2025-05-04 | SC Freiburg | 2 - 2 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2024-12-21 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 - 1 | SC Freiburg |
| 2024-03-17 | SC Freiburg | 2 - 3 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2023-10-29 | Bayer Leverkusen | 2 - 1 | SC Freiburg |
| 2023-02-26 | SC Freiburg | 1 - 1 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2022-09-03 | Bayer Leverkusen | 2 - 3 | SC Freiburg |
| 2022-05-14 | Bayer Leverkusen | 2 - 1 | SC Freiburg |
| 2021-12-19 | SC Freiburg | 2 - 1 | Bayer Leverkusen |
Memorable Matches
The most recent meeting, on March 7, 2026, finished 3-3 at Freiburg, a high-scoring draw between two attacking sides. Before that, Leverkusen won 2-0 at home on October 26, 2025.
Another notable fixture came on December 21, 2024, when Leverkusen won 5-1 at the BayArena, the biggest margin in the listed history. On March 17, 2024, Leverkusen won 3-2 at Freiburg, a close contest decided by a single goal.
Freiburg have had their moments too. They won 3-2 at the BayArena on September 3, 2022, and 2-1 at home on December 19, 2021. Of the ten listed meetings, Leverkusen won five, Freiburg won two and three were drawn. Goals have been frequent, with several matches featuring three or more.
Venue Factor
The BayArena is
You can find a more detailed breakdown in our Bayer Leverkusen vs SC Freiburg tips.
Injury Concerns
Bayer Leverkusen
SC Freiburg
