West Ham United – SC Freiburg 5:0 (2:0)
SC Freiburg had the chance to write club history in London. After the 1-0 win in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against West Ham United, the starting position for Freiburg was good. A draw would have been enough to reach the quarter-finals of a major European competition for the first time.
The Londoners dominated the first half from the start. Lucas Paquetá made it 1-0 for West Ham in the ninth minute, after a cross and extra time he just had to hold out his foot. This meant the first leg result was even. And the traditional English club continued to exploit its superiority: After a goal kick and a header from Michail Antonio, it seemed as if Christian Günter could keep the ball, but lost it to Jarrod Bowen, who then made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute increased. Although the Freiburg team were unimpressed and consistently played through their build-up game and acted in a disciplined manner, shortly before the half-time whistle it looked more like London’s third goal than a connection.
Even after the break, the balance of power did not change. At the latest after the 3-0 in the 53rd minute by Aaron Cresswell, who got the ball after a failed attempt to clear the ball by Freiburg, it became unlikely that Freiburg would still be able to create the sensation. In the 77th minute, Mohammed Kudus finally put an end to the Freiburg fans’ remaining hope of reaching the quarter-finals. After a remarkable solo run through the entire midfield, he finished routinely, took a press photographer’s stool on the way to the cheering fans, sat down in front of the home curve and let himself be celebrated. A little later, in the 85th minute, Kudus celebrated his second and fifth goal for West Ham of the evening.
Newsletter © ZEIT ONLINE
New: Finally Monday
By registering, you acknowledge the data protection declaration.
Thank you! We have sent you an email.
Check your mailbox and confirm your newsletter subscription.
The two clubs had already met in the group phase. West Ham United won both games – 2-1 in the first leg and 2-0 in the second leg. West Ham have recently won ten Europa League home games in a row, while Freiburg have only lost two of the last nine away games in this tournament.
SC Freiburg had the chance to write club history in London. After the 1-0 win in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against West Ham United, the starting position for Freiburg was good. A draw would have been enough to reach the quarter-finals of a major European competition for the first time.
The Londoners dominated the first half from the start. Lucas Paquetá made it 1-0 for West Ham in the ninth minute, after a cross and extra time he just had to hold out his foot. This meant the first leg result was even. And the traditional English club continued to exploit its superiority: After a goal kick and a header from Michail Antonio, it seemed as if Christian Günter could keep the ball, but lost it to Jarrod Bowen, who then made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute increased. Although the Freiburg team were unimpressed and consistently played through their build-up game and acted in a disciplined manner, shortly before the half-time whistle it looked more like London’s third goal than a connection.
