Freiburg’s Jordy Makengo on marking Mohamed Salah: “I always used to play as him on PlayStation!”

Freiburg’s Jordy Makengo on marking Mohamed Salah: “I always used to play as him on PlayStation!” SC Freiburg defender Jordy Makengo enjoyed a rather unusual encounter during Thursday’s 1-0 Conference League victory over Trabzonspor. The 25-year-old left-back found himself competing against former Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, a player he had previously spent considerable time controlling on his PlayStation. Makengo played an important role in Freiburg’s impressive away victory, helping Julian Schuster’s side contain the Egyptian international as the Bundesliga representatives secured their third consecutive competitive win. As detailed in Get German Football News ‘ match report and player ratings , Salah became increasingly dangerous as the match progressed, forcing goalkeeper Mio Backhaus into a crucial intervention in the 61st minute. Freiburg’s defensive unit largely succeeded in limiting the former Liverpool star’s influence. Makengo, supported by Vincenzo Grifo and Philipp Lienhart, played a particularly important role in closing down the spaces available to Salah on Trabzonspor’s right flank. Makengo: “I always used to play as him on PlayStation” Speaking in the mixed zone following the victory, Makengo revealed just how extraordinary he found the experience of lining up against one of global football’s biggest stars. “I’m a big FIFA gamer on PlayStation,” Makengo said. “I always used to play as him, and now I’m playing against him in real life. That’s simply incredible, and I’m really happy about it.” Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster, apparently less enthusiastic about video games than his young defender, nevertheless saw the amusing side of the situation. “If the PlayStation has something positive to offer, perhaps this is it,” Schuster joked. The lighthearted exchange followed what Schuster described as Freiburg’s best performance of the season. The Sport-Club’s aggressive first-half pressing and disciplined defensive work after the restart enabled the Bundesliga side to overcome a Trabzonspor team that had won seven consecutive matches. Makengo’s Freiburg development continues to gather momentum Beyond the amusing PlayStation anecdote, Thursday’s performance represented another encouraging milestone in Makengo’s development. The left-back endured a difficult 2025/26 campaign, struggling to establish himself consistently and making several costly defensive mistakes. As examined in GGFN ‘s extensive Freiburg preseason tactical preview , Makengo entered the summer facing considerable competition from long-serving captain Christian Günter and returning youngster Berkay Yilmaz. The prospect of losing further ground in Freiburg’s defensive hierarchy appeared entirely plausible. Instead, Makengo responded with an excellent preseason, forcing Schuster to reconsider the established pecking order. His improvement has also been evident in his attacking contributions. As previously noted in GGFN ‘s coverage of Freiburg’s record Bundesliga start , Makengo supplied four assists in five appearances earlier this season after failing to register a single goal contribution in his previous 58 matches. The defender also made his senior international debut for DR Congo during the October international break, adding another significant achievement to his increasingly encouraging campaign. Makengo’s attacking confidence was again visible during Freiburg’s recent Bundesliga victory over Schalke 04 , when the left-back combined effectively with Derry Scherhant to repeatedly threaten the visitors down Freiburg’s left flank. Thursday’s encounter in Trabzon, however, demanded a different set of qualities. Facing a player of Salah’s experience, technical ability, and attacking intelligence required Makengo to exercise considerable defensive discipline. The former Liverpool attacker did occasionally find a way through, particularly during Trabzonspor’s stronger second-half spell, but Freiburg’s collective defensive effort ultimately prevailed. Makengo earned a 7/10 rating from GGFN for his contribution to the clean sheet. For a player whose future at Freiburg had appeared uncertain not so long ago, the chance to test himself against one of the Premier League’s greatest modern attacking talents represented another important step forward. And for Makengo, there was the added satisfaction of discovering what it feels like to face a familiar PlayStation favourite in real life. GGFN  |  Peter Weis