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Trabzonspor
FreiburgSeven wins on the spin. That is the kind of run that makes a dressing room genuinely believe, and right now Trabzonspor are carrying that confidence into European football with real conviction. Under Thomas Reis they have turned Papara Park into a fortress, translated their domestic momentum into the Conference League without breaking stride, and they look like a side that knows exactly what they are doing. Freiburg, by contrast, have had a bumpier road to this fixture. Julian Schuster’s men reached last season’s Europa League final, so there is pedigree there, but their away form in European competition has been soft, and they are coming into this one still trying to find their best level after a difficult spell in October.
What makes this interesting is that Freiburg are not a side you can simply write off. They have quality in the right areas and they know how to hurt teams. But Trabzonspor at home, in this form, with this crowd behind them, is going to be a serious test for a German side that has already conceded three on the road in Europe this season.
This UEFA Conference League league phase fixture takes place at Papara Park in Trabzon, Turkey. Trabzonspor come in as the home side looking to extend their perfect European record for the 2026 to 27 campaign, while Freiburg make the trip from the Bundesliga looking to get their continental season back on track after a difficult away day in Monaco.
Trabzonspor are carrying a fair few injury concerns into this one, and the absence list is long enough to cause some selection headaches for Reis. The suspended Sidny Lopes Cabral cannot play after picking up a red card against Hearts, which removes one option from the attacking setup. Paul Onuachu is a name to watch closely given he only recently returned to the starting eleven after missing two league games through injury.
Freiburg have fewer problems but are not at full strength either. Philipp Treu is nursing an ankle injury and is unlikely to feature, while Florent Muslija is out for the longer term with a cruciate ligament problem. Schuster should still have Matthias Ginter and Philipp Lienhart available in central defence, which gives them a solid enough spine to work from.
Trabzonspor look set to line up in a shape that gets bodies forward quickly and uses the width to stretch visiting defences. Onuachu leading the line makes sense given his recent return and the threat he poses aerially and in behind, with Salah, Muci and Saviolo providing the creativity in support. The back four should be relatively settled even with the absences elsewhere.
Trabzonspor: Onana; Pina, Nwaiwu, Savic, Eskihellac; Fabinho, Kabasakal; Salah, Muci, Saviolo; Onuachu
Freiburg will likely rely on the experience of Ginter and Lienhart to organise defensively, with Eggestein and Engelhardt providing the midfield structure. Grifo, Suzuki and Beste offer creativity in behind, while Igor Matanovic leads the line and has been in fine nick having scored in each of Freiburg’s last two matches. Schuster will want his team compact and hard to break down on the road.
Freiburg: Backhaus; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Engelhardt; Beste, Suzuki, Scherhant; Matanovic
Trabzonspor’s current run is genuinely impressive. Seven consecutive wins across all competitions is the kind of form that covers up any wobbles and builds a collective mentality that is very hard to break. They opened their Conference League campaign by going to Finland and beating KuPS 4 to 2, then backed that up with a composed 2 to 0 home win over Hearts. In the Super Lig they have been equally ruthless, dispatching Besiktas 2 to 0 at home, then grinding through a 4 to 3 thriller against Caykur Rizespor before a clean 2 to 0 against Gaziantep. Six home wins on the bounce at Papara Park tells you everything about the atmosphere and the confidence this squad is carrying right now.
Freiburg’s recent form is a tale of two halves. The 3 to 0 hammering away at Monaco in Europe and a 3 to 1 Bundesliga defeat to Bayern Munich suggested a team in a bit of trouble, struggling to find their level against top opposition. But back to back wins since then, a 3 to 2 DFB Pokal victory over Wolfsburg and a 2 to 1 away win at Augsburg, suggest they have steadied the ship domestically. The concern is whether that domestic bounce carries into what is a genuinely hostile European away environment. Their record in continental away games this season offers little comfort.
The contrast in momentum could not be more obvious. Trabzonspor are flying. Freiburg are picking themselves back up. In a one off European fixture, that psychological difference matters, particularly when one side is playing in front of their own supporters on a ground where they have not lost in six straight games.
This will be the first competitive meeting between these two clubs, so there is no historical record to lean on when it comes to head to head tendencies. That cuts both ways. Trabzonspor cannot draw on familiarity with how Freiburg set up at this level, but equally Schuster’s side will not have specific footage of recent clashes against this particular opponent to study. Fresh ground for both managers.
What we can say is that Trabzonspor’s home European record under their current setup gives them a structural advantage that is hard to ignore. Meanwhile Freiburg’s away record in continental competition this campaign is already creaking after that Monaco defeat. Neither fact is conclusive on its own, but together they point fairly clearly in one direction.
The angle here is pretty clear. Trabzonspor at home in this form against a Freiburg side with serious questions about their away record in Europe. That does not mean ignoring the visitors entirely, because Matanovic is in form and Freiburg have enough quality to find the net, but the structure of this preview points toward the home side winning and goals being scored at both ends in what should be a competitive if not wide open game.
Trabzonspor have been scoring freely throughout their winning run, netting four in their opener and showing no signs of running dry. Freiburg can contribute going forward too, particularly through Matanovic. Over 2.5 goals looks like the smart call here given the attacking intent on both sides and the hosts’ willingness to push numbers forward at Papara Park.
Paul Onuachu is the pick. The Nigerian forward has just returned to the starting lineup and will be hungry to make his mark in a European home fixture. He is a physical presence, a threat from set pieces, and Trabzonspor will be looking to use him as an outlet early to put Freiburg’s centre backs under pressure from the first whistle.
Yes. Trabzonspor have been scoring goals for fun but their recent wins have not all been clean sheets, the 4 to 3 against Rizespor being the obvious example. Freiburg, for all their away struggles, have Matanovic in form and genuine creativity through Grifo and Beste. The visitors scoring at least once feels like a reasonable expectation, and Trabzonspor’s attack makes the other side of this bet fairly easy to back.
European away fixtures with this kind of competitive edge tend to produce bookings, particularly in midfield where both sides will be battling for control. Freiburg may need to be aggressive to disrupt Trabzonspor’s momentum at home, and the hosts will not be shy about putting in a challenge to protect their record. Over 3.5 cards feels like a reasonable expectation across the ninety minutes.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Trabzonspor to Win |
| Both Teams To Score | Yes |
| First Goalscorer | Paul Onuachu |
A home win with both teams scoring fits the recent patterns perfectly, and Onuachu leading the charge as first scorer ties the whole thing together neatly given his hunger to perform on the European stage after returning from injury.
Trabzonspor 2 to 1 Freiburg. That is the call, and it feels like a fair reflection of where both sides are right now. The hosts have momentum, a hostile home ground, and an attacking setup that has been clicking for weeks. Freiburg will contribute and they will make this competitive, Matanovic in particular will cause problems, but the Black Sea Storm winning their third Conference League game on the bounce and moving closer to that best ever European sequence feels like the most logical outcome.
This is a game that could swing on a moment in either direction, but everything about Trabzonspor’s current form suggests they know how to close out tight European fixtures at home. Back them to win, enjoy the goals, and keep an eye on Onuachu to make his presence felt early.
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