Freiburg’s perfect start fuels record as Schuster steadies the side

Julian Schuster’s SC Freiburg recorded a club‑record perfect start to the 2026/27 season on Saturday, beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 5‑0 to claim their sixth consecutive competitive victory. The win also lifted the Breisgau side to the top of the Bundesliga after three league wins.

The 5‑0 demolition of Borussia Mönchengladbach marked Freiburg’s sixth straight competitive win, a new club record. The victory followed a 4‑1 home win over Werder Bremen and a 1‑0 away success at Paderborn, completing three Bundesliga triumphs. It also marked the biggest margin of victory in the club’s opening six‑match run.

Yannik Engelhardt and Igor Matanovic each netted a brace, while Maximilian Eggestein added the fifth goal late on. Both forwards said the early goals set the tempo for the entire match. Engelhardt collected the Man of the Match award, though he said Matanovic deserved equal recognition.

Early season victories before the league

Freiburg’s unbeaten run began before the league even started. They opened the season with a 3‑1 away win over Motherwell in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League playoff in Scotland, then dispatched Fortuna Düsseldorf 5‑1 in the DFB‑Pokal three days later. Schuster rotated heavily for the cup tie, yet still produced a five‑goal haul.

Motherwell returned for the second leg and fell 4‑1 at the Europa‑Park Stadion, giving Freiburg a 7‑2 aggregate win. By that point the club had already secured three victories across two competitions without playing a single Bundesliga minute. The 7‑2 aggregate underscored Freiburg’s dominance before the league campaign even began.

Schuster keeps the record in perspective

In the Bundesliga, Yuito Suzuki scored a hat‑trick in the 4‑1 victory over Werder Bremen, and the side held newly promoted Paderborn to a 1‑0 win. Across the six matches, Freiburg have scored 22 goals and conceded only four, giving the team a +18 goal difference after just six games.

“Gladbach made it difficult for us initially,” Schuster acknowledged in an interview with Sky Germany. “Of course, the goals and the red card helped us bring the game home. A lot is possible thanks to the continuity of our personnel and the quality of our footballing academy.” He warned that a top‑of‑the‑table position after three matches does not guarantee a championship challenge later.

Engelhardt was delighted with his Man of the Match award but said he would gladly share it with Matanovic. “Yeah, it was a lot of fun,” he told Sky Germany. “I would gladly share this award with Igor as he deserved to be named ‘Man of the Match’ as much as I do. I’ll nevertheless take it as he’ll probably score a few more braces than I will.”

He added that the win hurt his heart to see Borussia and their fans in such a state. “I’m of course incredibly happy with the win, but it does hurt my heart a tad to see Borussia and their fans in such a state,” he said. “I might have only been a loan player with them last year, but the club has a place in my heart and I made some friends there. I wish Borussia all the best.” His comments reflected the club’s tradition of maintaining professional respect even in decisive victories.