Third time lucky for Freiburg against West Ham? – Bundesliga

Freiburg will look to take a lead to London as they host West Ham United in their UEFA Europa League first leg at the Europa-Park Stadion.

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It’s now six league games without a win for Freiburg, but their latest outing saw them claim an excellent point by holding reigning champions Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw. Christian Günter had given Christian Streich’s side an early lead before Bayern hit back twice, but Freiburg again showed their spirit as Lucas Höler’s 87th-minute beauty secured a point. Freiburg appear to be fond of the dramatic at the moment, their latest effort coming just a week on from more late heroics as they advanced to this stage of the Europa League. Trailing Lens 2-0, Roland Sallai struck twice – the second of which came in injury time – before Michael Gregoritsch wrapped up victory in extra time of their second leg of the previous round. With the Bayern game coming six days before the visit of West Ham, Streich should be able to avoid heavy rotation, while Lukas Kübler might have just enough time to get back to fitness after missing Matchday 24. Yannik Keitel, meanwhile, was back on the bench against Bayern and is now in contention after injury.

UEFA Europa Conference League holders West Ham struggled at the start of 2024, failing to win any of their opening eight matches in all competitions. However, they have bounced back in recent weeks, picking up conseuctive victories over Brentford and Everton in the English Premier League and scoring seven goals in the process. Finishing top of their group, which also contained Freiburg, meant they avoided a play-off fixture, so they have had extra time to prepare for this one. Besides Maxwel Cornet, whose hamstring issue is expected to keep him out until the end of March, David Moyes has a full squad to choose from. Jarrod Bowen is undoubtedly his side’s danger man – the England international has 17 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the league – but Lucas Paquetá and Mohamed Kudus are also players Streich and Co. will need to keep an eye on.

Watch: Freiburg hold Bayern before West Ham visit – highlights

Match stats

• Only five players in this year’s tournament have scored more times than Michael Gregoritsch, Vincenzo Grifo and Roland Sallai (all four). Gregoritsch is Freiburg’s all-time top scorer in the competition, with seven goals.
• Grifo has scored eight out of eight penalties in all competitions so far in 2023/24. Six of those have come in the Bundesliga, two in Europe.
• Freiburg have had more shots (137) and scored more goals (19) than any other team in the Europa League this season.
• Konstantinos Mavropanos made 80 Bundelsiga appearances as a VfB Stuttgart player and also represented Nuremberg in the German second division.
• These two sides met earlier in the campaign, with West Ham the first – and only – English club to have played Freiburg. The Hammers edged both Group A encounters – winning 2-1 in Germany and 2-0 in London – and are the only team to defeat Freiburg in the Europa League this term.
• This is the second season in succession that Freiburg have reached the last-16 of the Europa League, while West Ham won last year’s Europa Conference League.

Probable teams

Freiburg: Atubolu – Sildillia, Ginter, Gulde, Günter (c) – Eggestein, Höfler – Dōan, Sallai, Grifo – Höler
Out: Kyereh (knee), Lienhart (groin), Schmidt (abdominals)
Doubtful: –
Coach: Christian Streich 

West Ham: Fabiański (c) – Coufal, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Emerson – Souček, Ward-Prowse – Kudus, Paquetá, Benrahma – Bowen
Out: Cornet (hamstring)
Doubtful: –
Coach: David Moyes

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New ground in sight

Freiburg have made the last 16 of a European competition for the second time in their history following their elimination by Juventus at this stage of last season’s UEFA Europa League.

Another big atmosphere in store

European nights seem to bring out the very best of Freiburg’s new stadium. The place was positively rocking in their comeback win against Lens in the last round. Freiburg’s head of football Jochen Saier said after the match: “It was incredible. I have never seen the stadium like that. After our first goal went in, the energy was unbelievable.”

More from Freiburg

Recently recovered from an achilles tendon problem, Matthias Ginter is back to 100 per cent and is expected to feature prominently for the Black Forest side in European competition this week. Of opponents West Ham, the 30-year-old said, “Sure, they have a good team with a lot of good individual players. It will be important that we defend well. We are all competitive athletes and always want to get the most out of [games]. That’s why we’ll try to make it a special evening [against the Premier League side].”

© IMAGO/Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON

The view from West Ham

West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse said he is expecting Freiburg to provide a much sterner test to when the teams met in the group stages earlier this season. “It’s certainly not going to be an easy ride,” the 29-year-old explained, in quotes appearing on the club’s official website. “It’s probably going to be tougher than when we’ve played them before, because they know a bit more about us now, and they’ll have extra motivation going into the tie,” Ward-Prowse added.

© IMAGO/David Blunsden

The view from Freiburg

Freiburg boss Christian Streich is determined his side give it a real go against West Ham, using last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich as an example of the fight his side is capable of. “We are in the round of 16, we fought hard for this and we are very happy now because it is something very special for us,” the tactician explained. “But of course you always want more. What’s important for us is that we are courageous, like we were against Bayern.”

© IMAGO/Joeran Steinsiek

Personnel latest

Freiburg are boosted by the return to full fitness of captain and left-back Christian Günter, who marked his first start since Bundesliga Matchday 1 with the opening goal against Bayern. However, Philipp Lienhart – one of Streich’s first-choice central defenders – is still unavailable due to a groin injury. West Ham, meanwhile, make the trip without injured midfielder Maxwel Cornet.

© Alex Grimm

Third time lucky?

Freiburg showed tremendous fighting spirit to reach the last 16 proper. Following a goalless play-off first leg in Lens, Die Breisgauer were 2-0 down at half-time in the return fixture. Roland Sallai reduced the arrears with over an hour gone, before levelling the tie in stoppage time. An extra-time goal from Michael Gregoritsch sealed the comeback and set up a rematch against West Ham. It was the Hammers who topped Group A ahead of Freiburg, thanks to home and away wins over the Black Forest outfit – Freiburg’s only European defeats in 2023/24.

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West Ham: form check

UEFA Europa Conference League holders West Ham are also in the mix for another season of European football. David Moyes’ team were on an eight-game losing run in all competitions, but head to Freiburg in seventh place domestically after back-to-back wins over Brentford and Everton.

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Watch: Freiburg 2-2 Bayern – highlights

Freiburg finished fifth in last season’s Bundesliga, falling just three points short of UEFA Champions League qualification. Christian Streich’s team held Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw last weekend, but are ninth in the current standings, seven points adrift of the top six in a congested race for the European places.

Welcome!

Freiburg’s reward for their stirring UEFA Europa League play-off win over Lens is a last-16 showdown with West Ham United. The two sides met in the group stage – can Freiburg steal a first-leg advantage in the Black Forest?