Jena, May 1, 2026. This coming Sunday, the Bundesliga footballers of FC Carl Zeiss Jena will host SC Freiburg at the ad-hoc-Arena. For the team at the bottom of the table from Thüringen, a home win is an absolute necessity to avoid certain relegation to the second division.
- Match: FC Carl Zeiss Jena – SC Freiburg (Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, Matchday 24)
- When: Sunday, May 3, 2026, 4:00 PM
- Where: ad-hoc-Arena, Jena
- Broadcast: Live on DAZN, MagentaSport, and on the radio at baden.FM
All or Nothing for the Thüringen Side
For FC Carl Zeiss Jena, the sporting situation ahead of Matchday 24 is precarious. As the current bottom of the table, the Jena players only have a realistic chance of remaining in the top German division with a victory. If SC Freiburg instead secures its third away win of the current season, Jena would be mathematically certain to face relegation to the 2. Bundesliga.
Freiburg Aims to Rehabilitate After Defeat
The guests from the Breisgau region arrive with mixed feelings. Last weekend, the team led by head coach Edmond Kapllani suffered a heavy 1:4 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen following the long cup and international break. Kapllani is therefore demanding a significant improvement in performance from his team: “In Leverkusen, we weren’t really awake and weren’t tenacious enough. We have to bring all of that back onto the pitch this weekend.”
Despite the table situation, Freiburg will not underestimate their upcoming opponents from Jena. “They have their backs against the wall, have to give it their all, and play for three points,” said Kapllani. The SC coach expects Jena to operate from a compact defense and rely on quick transition situations.
Special Reunion for Luca Birkholz
Sunday afternoon’s match will be an emotional highlight for Luca Birkholz. The 22-year-old striker only moved from FC Carl Zeiss Jena to Sport-Club Freiburg before this season. Previously, she was active in an impressive 117 appearances for the Thüringen side. Even though she has currently been waiting for a goal for several weeks, she will be highly motivated when she takes to the field at her former club.
Women’s football has a long tradition in Jena, stemming in particular from FF USV Jena, whose playing rights and structures were taken over by FC Carl Zeiss Jena in 2020. Home matches are held at the ad-hoc-Arena (formerly Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld), located directly on the Saale. The infrastructure at Paradiespark regularly attracts loyal supporters for top Frauen-Bundesliga matches, who provide vocal support for the team, especially during the relegation battle.
Transparency Note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.