Yuito Suzuki's hat-trick fires Freiburg to a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen
Yuito Suzuki scored on 29, 48 and 55 minutes and Igor Matanović added one on the stroke of half-time as Freiburg opened the season with a 4-1 win at the Europa-Park Stadion.
Freiburg started the new season the way they will want to keep going, beating Werder Bremen 4-1 at the Europa-Park Stadion. Yuito Suzuki took the headlines with a hat-trick.
The first half was tight until Suzuki broke it open on 29 minutes, converting a Jan-Niklas Beste delivery. Igor Matanović doubled the lead right on half-time from a Matthias Ginter assist, and Suzuki then struck twice in seven minutes after the break to make it 4-0.
Dariusz Stalmach pulled one back for Bremen on 76 minutes, set up by Marco Grüll, but by then the game was long gone.
Match facts
- 29' — Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg), assisted by Jan-Niklas Beste
- 45' — Igor Matanović (Freiburg), assisted by Matthias Ginter
- 48' — Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg), assisted by Derry Scherhant
- 55' — Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg), assisted by Igor Matanović
- 76' — Dariusz Stalmach (Werder Bremen), assisted by Marco Grüll
| Stat | Freiburg | Werder Bremen |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 63% | 37% |
| Total shots | 7 | 2 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 1 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.59 | 0.73 |
Freiburg did not need many chances. Seven shots, four on target, four goals — a ruthless afternoon against a Bremen side that barely got out of its own half.
What's next
The Bundesliga table won't settle until matchday 1 is done, but three points and a plus-three goal difference send Freiburg into the top half of the opening-weekend standings, while Werder start on zero near the bottom. Matchday 2 is next weekend.
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