On Thursday (9 p.m.) SC Freiburg will face English club West Ham United in the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League. A special kind of reunion.
SC Freiburg has already played twice against the London club in the group stage of the Europa League. The winner twice was West Ham United – a top club full of stars! Lucas Paquetá, the Brazilian international, is just one of them.
It is well known that the team has great qualities and of course the English are also clear favorites for the Europa League round of 16. After two wins over Freiburg in the group stage, losing 2-0 in London and 2-1 at home, the English Premier League club comes to the Europa Park Stadium with a broad chest and great self-confidence. But this could be exactly where Freiburg’s opportunity lies.
Captain Christian Günter was there this time
The sports club, still weakened by replacements and plagued by injuries, showed last Friday against record champions Bayern Munich how they can annoy big teams. Captain Christian Günter, an important player, recently returned from the hospital and Freiburg’s captain finally returned in very good form with his first Bundesliga goal of the season. The left wing with Christian Günter and Vincenzo Grifo could make things difficult for West Ham, as Bayern also had problems with Freiburg’s left wing for a long time.
Freiburg could be underestimated
Freiburg’s big chance could be that West Ham underestimates the ninth-placed team in the Bundesliga. After two wins in the group stage, West Ham might be taking things a little too casually, perhaps already in the quarter-finals. Freiburg as the underdog has nothing to lose, can play freely and with a little luck will certainly annoy the big favorites.
Matthias Ginter should ensure stability on the defensive
With the return of Matthias Ginter, stability has also returned in defense and so the sports club doesn’t seem to be in a bad position for the game on Thursday. The deserved draw against Bayern also gave the SCF increased self-confidence and an extra dose of motivation. The fans in the Europa Park Stadium will do their part to ensure that the surprise is a success and that it can be a great football festival.
The chances of reaching the quarter-finals are not bad at all. On a good day, SC Freiburg can beat many top clubs, including West Ham, of course. And after the return leg, the headline about this round of 16 could be: “Goodbye when we meet again in the Europa League”. Kick-off in Freiburg’s Europapark Stadium is at 9 p.m. SWR Sport broadcasts the game in an audio stream. The Freiburg EX professional Daniel Schwaab is at the microphone as an expert.
Broadcast on Friday, March 8, 2024, 6:00 a.m., SWR Aktuell in the morning, SWR Aktuell
