Freiburg's flying start to the season is no accident, with the Black Forest club having recorded four top-seven finishes in their last five Bundesliga seasons alone. The key to their success lies in their spread of 11 different goalscorers and a penchant for set-piece goals, with nine already this season, including six from corners. This has been personified by the re-emergence of Yannik Engelhardt in central midfield, who scored a brace in the match against his former teammates.
Engelhardt's return to Freiburg this summer has been a seamless transition, and he has jumped ahead of veteran playmaker Vincenzo Grifo in the pecking order. The collective commitment of the team has produced Freiburg's best start to a Bundesliga season, with maximum points from their opening three games. They will now hope to make it a case of third time lucky in the UEFA Europa League, while perhaps securing a first top-four Bundesliga finish and a maiden berth in the UEFA Champions League.