Freiburg's unbeaten start faces Leverkusen test
Freiburg travel to Bayer Leverkusen as Bundesliga leaders after collecting a club-record 13 points from their first five matches. Their unbeaten start will face a tougher challenge against a Leverkusen team that has improved under Carles Martínez. Freiburg have rarely occupied first place and have never managed to defend it successfully.
Freiburg's 13-point haul from five games is a club best, yet they have reached first place only four previous times and have never held it after a following matchday. Their Matchday 5 win over Schalke was 2-1, with Keisuke Gotō scoring late after Yuito Suzuki's red card. Next come Conference League opener against Jablonec, a Monaco trip, then Bayern.
Leverkusen lost 3-2 at Elversberg on opening day but have since taken 10 of 12 points, sitting fourth. At home they have kept clean sheets in beating Union Berlin 4-0 and RB Leipzig 2-0. They also face Lech Poznań in the Europa League.
Count words. First para: Freiburg's(1) 13-point(2) haul(3) from(4) five(5) games(6) is(7) a(8) club(9) best,(10) yet(11) they(12) have(13) reached(14) first(15) place(16) only(17) four(18) previous(19) times(20) and(21) have(22) never(23) held(24) it(25) after(26) a(27) following(28) matchday.(29) Their(30) Matchday(31) 5(32) win(33) over(34) Schalke(35) was(36) 2-1,(37) with(38) Keisuke(39) Gotō(40) scoring(41) late(42) after(43) Yuito(44) Suzuki's(45) red(46) card.(47) Next(48) come(49) Conference(50) League(51) opener(52) against(53) Jablonec,(54) a(55) Monaco(56) trip,(57) then(58) Bayern.(59) Second: Leverkusen(60) lost(61) 3-2(62) at(63) Elversberg(64) on(65) opening(66) day(67) but(68) have(69) since(70) taken(71) 10(72) of(73) 12(74) points,(75) sitting(76) fourth.(77) At(78) home(79) they(80) have(81) kept(82) clean(83) sheets(84) in(85) beating(86) Union(87) Berlin(88) 4-0(89) and(90) R
... No extra. Need maybe "plain text". Fine. Need ensure not copying source phrasing. We used "club best" not "club record"; "first place" etc. Some phrases like "opening day", "Europa League", "Conference League" unavoidable. "Union Berlin", "RB Leipzig". Fine. "Keisuke Gotō" etc. "Yuito Suzuki's red card" okay. "Lech Poznań" okay. "Bayern" okay. "Jablonec" okay. "Monaco" okay. "Elversberg" okay. "fourth" okay. "10 of 12 points" okay. "clean sheets" maybe source "not conceded a single league goal at home"; clean sheets is paraphrase. Good. Need maybe "Freiburg's 13-point haul from five games is a club best" source says 13 points from five matchdays represent club record. Fine. "reached first place only four previous times" source says feat only managed four times before in history. Fine. "never held it after a following matchday" source says never successfully defended top spot. Fine. Potential issue: "Next come Conference League opener against Jablonec, a Monaco trip, then Bayern.