Freiburg out of UEFA Europa League after heavy West Ham defeat
Despite winning the first leg, Freiburg missed out on a place in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals after a chastening 5-0 loss to West Ham United in London.
West Ham 5-0 Freiburg (West Ham win 5-1 on agg.) Goals: 1-0 Paquetá 9' (assist: Souček), 2-0 Bowen 32', 3-0 Cresswell 52', 4-0 Kudus 77', 5-0 Kudus 85'(assist: Bowen)
Having recorded a 1-0 win on home soil, Freiburg would have been cautiously optimistic about their chances of finishing the job in the English capital. However, those hopes were dealt a blow in the ninth minute when Lucas Paquetá converted from close range to level the tie. Roland Sallai flashed a shot wide with Freiburg's best effort of the half, but the Hammers continued to pose the greater threat. Mohammed Kudus and Paquetá spurned further chances for the hosts, before Jarrod Bowen struck to put his side 2-0 up.
Freiburg showed signs of life after the restart as substitute Michael Gregoritsch headed over, only for Aaron Cresswell to extend West Ham's lead with their next attack. The Black Forest club refused to throw in the towel as Florent Muslija and Merlin Röhl made Łukasz Fabiański work, but it was effectively game over with 77 minutes gone as Kudus fired in a fine solo goal. He then added a second to seal a 5-1 aggregate win that ends Freiburg's involvement in UEFA competition for another season.
Watch:All about Freiburg
Match stats
Last week's victory was the first time Freiburg have won the first leg of a UEFA knockout round.
Just three players have found the back of the net more times in the Europa League than Gregortisch (five) this season. Vincenzo Grifo is just behind his teammate on four.
Either a win or a draw would have put Freiburg in the Europa League quarter-finals for the first time in their history. They have never before gone further than the last 16 of a UEFA competition.
Konstantinos Mavropanos made 80 Bundesliga appearances as a VfB Stuttgart player and also represented Nuremberg in the German second tier.
West Ham are the only English club to have ever played Freiburg. The Hammers won the first two meetings - also this season in the groups stages - before Freiburg claimed victory in the first-leg.
Europa League Round of 16, 2nd leg Round of 16, 2nd leg London Stadium, London
90'
+ 1
Full-time: West Ham 5-0 Freiburg
The hosts successfully turn around a 1-0 first-leg deficit and advance to the Europa League quarter-finals. Freiburg's European adventure is over for this season.
90'
Time added on
There will be two extra minutes to play.
89'
Atubolu save
Atubolu saves from Coufal as West Ham finish on the attack.
Christian Streich throws Maximilian Philipp and Lucas Höler into the mix as Freiburg desperately try to chase down what sadly is looking like a losing cause.
Sallai crosses and Gregoritsch is there to head over the top. The Austrian is in the thick of the action already.
46'
Off we go again
The second half is underway in the English capital and Freiburg make a change. First-leg match-winner Michael Gregoritsch is on for the visitors, with Vincenzo Grifo making way.
First-half goals from West Ham's Bowen and Paquetá have the hosts 2-1 up in this UEFA Europa League, Round of 16, second-leg tie at the London Stadium.
44'
Time added on
There will be one extra minute to play in this half.
40'
Grifo energetic
Grifo has been lively for Freiburg this half and the No. 32 works himself into the West Ham area once again before unleashing a shot which Fabiański saves with relative ease.
38'
Eggestein has a go
Eggestein draws a decent save from Fabiański in the West Ham goal. Freiburg's players applause in encouragement as they regroup. They know there are spaces to exploit here.
Freiburg up against it
The away side are still just one goal behind in the tie, but with the momentum in this game now very much in West Ham's favour, the men in white have a serious task in trying to turn this around.
Paquetá has recovered from receiving treatment and the goalscorer tests Atubolu from range. The goalkeeper is equal to the shot.
20'
Hosts on the attack
Antonio pings the ball back for Kudus, who is a whisker away from giving West Ham a 2-0 lead.
17'
Grifo set-piece
Not this time for the Freiburg flyer, whose free-kick from an interesting position spins off target.
16'
Atubolu alert
The visiting keeper comes off his line to snaffle a Bowen cross that looked very menacing, until the goalkeeper gathered.
14'
Grifo counter
This is a touch wasteful from Vincenzo Grifo, who counters promisingly only to lose possession.
11'
Sallai goes close
Freiburg are almost on terms immediately! Roland Sallai drags a shot from the right across the far left-hand post. That was not far away at all.
9'
First blood West Ham
Tomáš Souček glances a header from a West Ham corner which reaches Lucas Paquetá. The Brazilian converts at the back stick to put the Hammers 1-0 up. We're level at 1-1 in the tie.
The home side are warming into the second leg and have an attempt that narrowly misses from Jarrod Bowen.
3'
Solid start
A decent opening from the visitors to this game. Streich's men have had a couple of forays forward already, Ritsu Dōan with a shot off target in the last attack.
1'
Peeeep!
Away we go, then! Freiburg with the 1-0 lead from the first-leg, don't forget.
Teams out!
Both sides are out on the pitch at the London Stadium and we're all set for kick-off!
Solid hosts
West Ham can talk of a pretty good home record in European competition, with the hosts winning 13 of their last 16 home games in continental competition.
More on those teams
Freiburg stick to the same line-up that began the first leg a week ago, meaning that Lucas Höler is back in for first-leg match-winner Michael Gregoritsch compared to the side that started against Bochum at the weekend. Meanwhile, Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio are in for the Hammers.
The visitors can boast of six previous wins on the road in 16 away games in European competition. The Black Forest side have drawn five and lost six on the road.
We've witnessed some intense penalty shootouts in Europe this week and while Freiburg have never before been involved in one in continental competition, the close nature of the scoreline in this tie raises the possibility that we could go all the way in London.
Eggestein focused
Asked about the possibility of Freiburg reaching the last eight of the Europa League for the first time in the club's history, weekend goalscorer Maximilian Eggestein was remaining circumspect. “We know we can achieve something big but we don’t want to think and talk about that too much in advance," the midfielder said. "Instead, we want to concentrate on the task ahead of us," he added.
There will be some 2,300 Freiburg fans inside the London Stadium tonight cheering on the visitors and you suspect that the visitors will need the travelling support to be in full voice ahead of what will be a tricky test in the English capital.
Streich's view on West Ham
"We've studied them and know the players well. They will have studied us, too. We don't want them to set the pace. West Ham can play in many different ways, and we have prepared for them."
Freiburg are looking to go one round further than last year in the Europa League after falling short to Italian giants Juventus in the last 16 previously. They take a one-goal advantage to East London, with Michael Gregoritsch scoring late to seal a first-leg win in the Black Forest over last year’s Europa Conference League winners.
Before last week’s encounter with West Ham, Freiburg were on the back of a gruelling 2-2 draw with reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Now they visit the London Stadium unbeaten in their last three, with the weekend’s win at Bochum putting Christian Streich’s team back in contention for European qualification once again.
2:03
Watch: Bochum 1-2 Freiburg - highlights
Michael Gregoritsch continued his fine form by heading a second after Maximilian Eggestein's opener as Freiburg won in Bochum.
Hello and welcome!
Thank you for joining us ahead of the West Ham v Freiburg second leg in the UEFA Europa League's last 16.
