Matthias Ginter marks Freiburg return with goal in convincing win at Augsburg

Matthias Ginter scored a debut goal against Augsburg for the second time in his career as he marked his return to Freiburg with a convincing 4-0 win in Bavaria.

Augsburg 0-4 Freiburg
Goals: 0-1 Gregoritsch 46′ (assist: Sildillia), 0-2 Grifo 47′, 0-3 Ginter 63′ (assist: Gregoritsch), 0-4 Doan 78′

Daniel Caligiuri nearly drew first blood against his former club with a curling effort which just cleared the far post in the 10th minute, with Augsburg asking all the early questions. An even better chance to score against his former club fell Michael Gregoritsch’s way just over five minutes later, when he turned inside Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and had only Rafal Gikiewicz to beat, but he sent his shot over the crossbar. Gikiewicz turned a looping Vincenzo Grifo header over as the guests started to get on top, with Maximilian Eggestein getting even closer with a low drive which struck the base of the right-hand upright. Eggestein dragged Freiburg’s next effort just wide of the far post as Freiburg ended the half on top, but still level.

Freiburg came flying out of the blocks in the second half with Gregoritsch nodding in Kiliann Sildillia’s cross and Grifo sending a dipping free-kick into the far corner of Gikiewicz’s goal. Within just two minutes of the restart, the guests were two goals to the good, and it was three moments later when Roland Sallai’s shot nestled in the far corner, but a slight touch off Sildillia on its way in drew a VAR check which confirmed the offside position of the Freiburg full-back. It was only a momentary stay of execution for the hosts, though, as Ginter connected with Gregoritsch’s nodded pass to lob Gikiewicz and turn the screw. Ritsu Doan then capitalised on a defensive mistake to add a fourth and compound Augsburg’s woes.

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Match stats

• Ginter played his first game for Freiburg in 3010 days; like on his first debut for the club on 21 January 2012, he scored – against Augsburg.
• Ginter scored just one goal all season for Borussia Mönchengladbach last season.
• Streich made his Bundesliga debut as a coach in the aforementioned match against Augsburg on 21 January 2012 (a 1-0 home win).
• Seven of Grifo’s team-leading nine Bundesliga goals in 2021/22 came via set plays, with two being direct free-kicks – more than any other Bundesliga player last term.
• Freiburg are unbeaten in eight Bundesliga games against Augsburg (W5, D3), and have won the last four in a row.