SC Freiburg vs Derby

Derby, who had beaten Alfreton Town 2-0 in their previous friendly, started brightly. Bobby Clark drove forward on the counter-attack and found Oscar Fraulo, but the Dane's shot was held by Freiburg goalkeeper Mio Backhaus.

Freiburg struck with their first real attack. Irié collected the ball, weaved between two Derby defenders and curled a finish into the far corner past Josh Vickers to open his pre-season account.

Derby responded quickly. Fraulo's relentless pressing forced a turnover from Yannik Engelhardt, and the ball broke for Morris, who smashed it into the roof of the net from 12 yards to make it 1-1 after 14 minutes.

The Rams nearly fell behind again when Mateo Zelic's goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by captain Lewis Travis. Derby grew stronger after the first hydration break. Fraulo continued to dictate the press, teeing up trialist Ryan Hedges, whose first-time effort drifted inches wide. Moments later, Hedges stole possession and threaded Joe Ward into the box, with Max Rosenfelder clearing Bobby Clark's goal-bound shot off the line.

The match was played across four 30-minute periods — a format that allowed both managers to rotate heavily. Freiburg made 14 substitutions across the match, as did Derby.

The decisive moment arrived with 11 minutes of the 120 left. Rio Canoville brought down Maximillian Eggestein on the edge of the area, and the referee pointed to the spot. Grifo stepped up from a short run-up, sent goalkeeper Sam Kane — who had replaced Richard O'Donnell five minutes earlier — the wrong way, and slotted home to make it 2-1.

Canoville almost atoned immediately, heading a Cruz Allen corner towards goal, but Freiburg's third goalkeeper of the afternoon, Jannik Huth, saved well. Adisa Osayande headed over from the resulting corner as Derby pushed for a second equaliser.

Freiburg sealed the win in the dying seconds. Kane had rushed off his line to sweep up danger, but when Liam Thompson was caught in possession, Catak lofted the ball over the retreating 20-year-old and into the net for 3-1.

Cyriaque Kalou Irié (SC Freiburg) — Opened the scoring with a moment of individual quality, weaving past two defenders before curling into the far corner. A bright start to pre-season for the Ivorian.

Oscar Fraulo (Derby County) — The Dane was the engine of Derby's press in the first hour. He created the equaliser by winning the ball high up the pitch and was involved in several of the Rams' best moments before being substituted in the 61st minute.

Carlton Morris (Derby County) — Took his goal clinically and led the line well, holding up play and linking with midfield runners.

Vincenzo Grifo (SC Freiburg) — The Italian veteran converted the crucial penalty with composure, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The 3-1 scoreline flattered Freiburg slightly. Derby created the better chances in the first hour, hitting the woodwork through a defensive clearance and forcing a goal-line save from Rosenfelder. The match was played as four 30-minute periods rather than the conventional 90 minutes, reflecting its status as a training-ground fixture. Both sides made 14 substitutions — entirely new outfield lineups and goalkeeper changes — meaning the contest was effectively four different games within one. The penalty was the defining moment of a match that had been finely balanced.

For SC Freiburg, this was their first pre-season friendly of the 2026-27 campaign. Julian Schuster's side, who reached the UEFA Europa League final last season, will take fitness and sharpness from this runout as they build towards the new Bundesliga season.

Derby County concluded their week-long Austria training camp with this fixture. John Eustace's side, preparing for their second season back in the Championship, can take encouragement from their performance: they matched a Europa League finalist for large stretches and created several clear-cut chances. The Rams face a behind-closed-doors friendly against Valencia next, followed by fixtures against Mansfield Town (31 July) and Burton Albion (1 August).

A competitive, even pre-season contest decided by a penalty and a late defensive error. Derby matched Freiburg for long spells and created the better chances in the first hour, but the Bundesliga side's quality in the decisive moments — Irié's finish, Grifo's penalty, and the composure for Catak's late strike — made the difference. For a first pre-season friendly, both sides will be satisfied with different aspects of the performance.