Preview: SC Freiburg vs. MH Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europa League

FRANKFURT, Germany (Interstat) — A stark contrast in European form will be on display Thursday when SC Freiburg hosts MH Maccabi Tel Aviv in a UEFA Europa League group stage match.

The German side, buoyed by consistent results, faces an Israeli club mired in a severe defensive crisis. The match at Europa-Park Stadion kicks off at 18:45 CET.

Freiburg (4-2-0) enters atop its group, having secured advancement to the knockout phase. Its campaign has been built on a stout defense, conceding only three goals in six matches. The club is unbeaten in its last five across all competitions, including a 1-0 victory over FC Red Bull Salzburg on Dec. 11 that sealed its progression.

In contrast, Maccabi Tel Aviv (0-1-5) has been eliminated from contention, anchored at the bottom of the group with a single point. Its European season has been defined by heavy defeats, having been outscored 19-1 in its last five Europa League matches. That stretch includes a 6-0 home loss to Olympique Lyonnais and a 4-1 defeat at VfB Stuttgart on Dec. 11.

Maccabi’s lone group stage goal came in a 3-1 loss to GNK Dinamo Zagreb on Oct. 2. Its sole positive result was a scoreless draw with PAOK on Sept. 24.

Freiburg manager Christian Streich is expected to rotate his squad with first place secured, offering minutes to reserves while managing fitness for domestic duties. Maccabi Tel Aviv, under manager Robbie Keane, will be playing for pride and seeking to stem a tide of conceding goals, which has seen the team allow three or more in four of its last five European outings.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Freiburg is projected to win 3-0.

The match concludes the group stage for both. Freiburg will visit Lille on Jan. 29 in a match that will determine the group winner. Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Bologna FC 1909 the same day in its final European fixture of the season.