West Ham United and SC Freiburg are all set to battle it out against each other for a spot in the Round of 16 of the Europa League.
SC Freiburg will hit the road to square up against West Ham United on the final matchday of the Europa League groups stage. Both teams have already qualified for the knockout phase, but there is still a lot to play for.
The winner of this fixture will finish top of Group A and will be able to compete in the Round of 16, whereas the loser will have to start his knockouts journey from the play-offs for the next stage. As a result, a win in this fixture is of high importance for both clubs.
West Ham are currently top of the group with 12 points out of their five matches. They have won four matches and have lost once so far in Europe. It has been a decent campaign so far, and a win on the final matchday could do wonders for last year’s UEFA Europa Conference League champions.
The Hammers are heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Fulham in their last league outings. West Ham were dominated throughout, and they did not have much idea of what had hit them. While they will look to return to winning ways, it won’t be an easy task.
The visitors also have 12 points to their name in their five outings They have won four and lost one of their group-stage fixtures. Freiburg are the highest-scoring team in the group with 17 goals in five outings, the second best is West Ham who have only scored eight goals.
The German club are heading into this fixture on the back of three consecutive wins, and they will be hoping to make it four in a row. Their last outing was a 1-0 win over Wolfsburg, Freiburg were not at their best, but they managed to get the desired result and will be hoping for a better performance against the Hammers.
While a draw will be enough for David Moyes’s team to make it to the Round of 16, the German club need to ensure they get all three points on the night. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News and Tactics
West Ham United
The Hammers will be without the services of Michail Antonio for this fixture. Meanwhile, Edson Alvarez, who did not play a part in their last fixture will return to the mix. They had a few absentees due to a virus against Fulham. But those players should be back for this fixture.
West Ham will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Lukasz Fabianski in goal. Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs and they will look to support their central defenders as well as join the attack when possible.
Kurt Zouma will start alongside Nayef Aguerd in the heart of the defence, and the duo will be eyeing yet another clean sheet. Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to protect the back four, help control the tempo of the game and most importantly ensure they have the majority of the ball possession.
Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta will provide the width to their attacks as they will feature out wide on the flanks. Meanwhile, Tomas Soucek will be the attacking midfielder behind Jarrod Bowen who will be leading the line in the absence of Michail Antonio.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Palmieri; Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Kudus, Soucek, Paqueta; Bowen
SC Freiburg
The visitors do not really have any fresh injury concerns, and they are expected to go ahead with the same XI that started against Wolfsburg.
Freiburg will line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, where Noah Atubolu will take charge in goal. He will have the support of Kiliann Sildillia and Jordy Makengo who will feature as the full-backs. The duo will look to join the attack and also help out their central defenders Philipp Lienhart and Matthias Ginter.
Ritsu Doan and Vincenzo Grifo will provide width to their attack. They will feature out wide in the centre of the park, and while their focus will be on attack, they will drop back to support the full-backs.
Nicolas Hofler will start alongside Maximilian Eggestein in a more central role. The duo will look to control ball possession and dictate the pace of this game. Merlin Rohl will be the attacking midfielder, he will look to create chances for Michael Gregoritsch, who will start as the number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Atubolu; Sildillia, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Doan, Eggestein, Hofler, Grifo; Rohl; Gregoritsch
Key Stats
- West Ham United and SC Freiburg are all set to square up against each other for the second time, the Hammers came out on top last time out with a scoreline of 2-1.
- The German club have the best attack in the Europa League this time with 17 goals in just five games.
- The Hammers are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions and are currently on a three-match winning streak.
- Freiburg have only lost one out of their last six away games in the Europa League.
- West Ham have lost two home games this season, both defeats came in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has been in sensational form in the ongoing season, and his exceptional performances have made him one of the most sought-after players. Quite a few top clubs from across Europe are keen on having him in their ranks.
The 26-year-old has featured in a total of 19 matches this season, and he has contributed towards 13 goals. Bowen has found the back of the net on ten occasions. His consistent performances are one of the reasons for West Ham’s improved performances this season, and he could be the one to watch out for in Thursday.
Prediction
West Ham United 2-2 Freiburg
Both teams have been doing great in the ongoing season, they have already booked a place in the knockout rounds, but there is still a lot at stake. They have the opportunity to directly book a place in the Round of 16 with a win here.
While the Hammers can go through with a draw, they will surely look for a win in the first place. Given the current form of both the teams, Freiburg could have the upper hand but in the end, there might not be much to separate the two teams. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw which will result in West Ham finishing top of the group.
