Best Odds: 4/6
Bookmaker:
In what could prove to be a lively affair from the Europa-Park Stadion on Thursday evening, West Ham will travel over to Freiburg.
Freiburg
Starting with the hosts, while Freiburg might have eventually missed out on the chance to claim a stunning top-four finish among Germany’s elite last season, Christian Streich’s side certainly gained plenty of plaudits. Despite marking their return from September’s international break with an action-packed 4-2 defeat at the hands of German giants Borussia Dortmund, the Reds certainly opened their Europa League adventure with a remarkable performance on foreign soil. Eventually snatching a rollercoaster 3-2 win away at Greek heavyweights Olympiacos a fortnight ago, it is no secret that Freiburg have their sights firmly set on finding a route out of Group A this year. Picking up some perfect momentum over the weekend as they claimed a 2-0 victory at home against Augsburg, Streich will be most excited by his side’s recent improvements at the back. Recording back-to-back Bundesliga clean sheets for the first time since opening up the new campaign, Freiburg will be desperate to make a real statement here.
Team News
While midfielder Nicolas Hofler might be serving a domestic suspension, the 33-year-old is free to feature on Thursday evening. However, Freiburg will once again be without the likes of Christian Gunter, Benjamin Uphoff, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh and Max Rosenfelder.
Coming off the bench and bagging the winner away at Olympiacos on September 21st, former Werder Bremen star Maximillian Philipp will be hoping for a full recall here. Despite notching just a single strike across any competition since opening the new campaign, Lucas Holer should spearhead Freiburg’s charge.
West Ham
As for the visitors, crowned Europa Conference League champions last season and making real history out in Prague, West Ham have certainly kept up that momentum since opening up the 2023/24 campaign. While the Hammers might have found themselves at the heart of a shock Premier League relegation scrap last season, David Moyes’ men have impressed many this time around. Picking up some perfect momentum over the weekend as they claimed a routine 2-0 victory at home against top-flight returners Sheffield United, the one-time Manchester United boss should find the mood in his camp at a real high. Getting their Europa League adventure underway on September 21st with a 3-1 win against TSC at the London Stadium, Moyes’ men have also impressed with their recent performances on the road. Including a thumping 3-1 win away at Brighton on August 26th, the Hammers have lost just one of their first five away fixtures across all competitions since opening the new campaign.
Team News
Suffering with a recent thigh injury, West Ham will once again be without full-back Aaron Cresswell. While attacking talisman Jarrod Bowen might have picked up a minor knock against Sheffield United over the weekend, the ex-Hull starlet has been given the green light to feature here.
Expected to make a handful of changes on Thursday night, summer arrivals Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mohammed Kudus should be handed a full recall. Likewise, Lukas Fabianski is expected to replace Alphonse Areola between the sticks in Germany.
Key Factors to Consider
