Freiburg hold slender lead as Bundesliga title race stays wide open
SC Freiburg have made it to the summit of the Bundesliga table after five matches played, though their advantage amounts to nothing more than alphabetical order or goal difference rather than a cushion of points over the chasing pack.
Sitting top without any breathing room means every fixture carries extra weight, with the smallest slip capable of handing the initiative to a rival in what is shaping up to be one of the tighter Bundesliga races in recent seasons.
For a club not habitually associated with the very top of German football, occupying first place this early in the campaign is itself a notable achievement, but the lack of any gap to second means Freiburg will need to keep winning simply to stay there.
With so many points still to play for, the coming weeks should offer a clearer picture of whether Freiburg can hold their nerve at the top or whether the usual contenders will reassert themselves.