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Freiburg host Qarabag at the Stade Europa-Park in their first game of the 2022-23 Europa League season in Group G on Thursday.
The Breisgau Brazilians are back in the competition for the second time, having made their debut back in the 2013-14 season.
With four wins from five, Christian Streich's side are on a good run of form in the Bundesliga this season, sitting at the top of the pile.
It holds them in good stead ahead of their first European campaign in nine years.
Qarabag fell to the Europa League after being beaten in the Champions League playoffs by Viktoria Plzen and will now make their fourth appearance in the competition in the last five years.
Freiburg vs Qarabag Head-To-Head
This will be the first official encounter between Freiburg and Qarabag.
Freiburg Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-W-L-W
Qarabag Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-L-D-W
Freiburg vs Qarabag Team News
Freiburg
The Breisgau Brazilians have quite a few injury concerns right now as Rolland Sallai, Kevin Schade, Lucas Holer, Kimberly Ezekwem and Manuel Gulde are all sidelined.
Vincenzo Grifo has struck in back-to-back games for the side in the Bundesliga and will look to carry that form into Europe too.
Nils Petersen could return to the starting XI to lead the line in Sallai's absence.
Injured: Rolland Sallai, Kevin Schade, Lucas Holer, Kimberly Ezekwem, Manuel Gulde
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Qarabag
Kevin Medina is out with a leg injury for the Horsemen, who have everyone else available for Thursday's clash.
Head coach Qurban Qurbanov could make wholesale changes to his starting XI from the weekend, with all the key players returning to the starting lineup.
Injured: Kevin Medina
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Freiburg vs Qarabag Predicted XI
Freiburg (3-4-3): Mark Flekken; Keven Schlotterbeck, Philipp Lienhart, Matthias Ginter; Kiliann Sildillia, Yannik Keitel, Nicolas Höfler, Christian Günter; Michael Gregoritsch, Nils Petersen, Vincenzo Grifo.
Qarabag (4-2-3-1): Şahruddin Mahammadaliyev; Maksim Medvedev, Rahil Mammadov, Abbas Huseynov, Toral Bayramov; Richard Almeida, Júlio Romão; Kady Borges, Marko Janković, Abdellah Zoubir; Ramil Sheydayev.
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Freiburg vs Qarabag Prediction
Freiburg are the form team right now, and despite missing Sallai through injury, have enough attacking firepower to cause trouble.
Qarabag have more experience in the competition than Freiburg and could give them a serious run for their money, but we expect the hosts to eventually prevail.
Prediction: Freiburg 2-1 Qarabag
