Following a hard-fought trip and disappointing 1-0 loss in Germany last week, West Ham United will seek redemption when they welcome Freiburg to London Stadium on March 14th, 2024, for the Europa League second-leg battle.
David Moyes has undergone a respectable domestic season in the Premier League’s top flight thus far. He will be hoping his squad lives up to their nickname and becomes the hammer to their Freiburg’s nail in European action.
West Ham vs. Freiburg: Form Guide
Last week, West Ham was unjustly denied a late penalty in Germany, which would have resulted in their Europa League round of 16 match against Freiburg being tied when it returned to London. However, now, the Hammers head into the second leg down 1-0, and Moyes’ team played to a 2-2 draw against Burnley over the weekend, while the Bundesliga team emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over VfL Bochum.
The host team’s recent performance has been subpar, with just two victories in their previous 12 matches across all competitions. Nevertheless, their performance in European competitions at the London Stadium has been consistently strong, with a flawless record of 10 consecutive victories in their previous ten home games.
West Ham: Previous 6 Matches
| 10.03.2024 | West Ham | 2-2 | Burnley | EPL |
| 07.03.2024 | Freiburg | 1-0 | West Ham | UEL |
| 02.03.2024 | Everton | 1-3 | West Ham | EPL |
| 26.02.2024 | West Ham | 4-2 | Brentford | EPL |
| 17.02.2024 | Nottingham F | 2-0 | West Ham | EPL |
| 11.02.2024 | West Ham | 0-6 | Arsenal | EPL |
While the latest odds suggest otherwise, Freiburg is travelling to London with confidence that they can reach the quarterfinals of a European tournament, which would be a first in the club’s history. Gregoritsch, a forward known for holding up play and winning aerial duels, scored a goal with his head in the second leg of the match between Freiburg and Bochum. This helped Freiburg secure a 2-1 victory while playing away from home. In addition to setting up Maximilian Eggestein’s first goal in the Bochum match, the Austrian player has scored three goals and provided two assists in his past five games across all competitions.
Coach Christian Streich is expected to prioritise defensive factors. He knows that if his team can prevent their Premier League opponents from scoring, they will secure a berth in the quarter-finals. The recent recoveries of club captain Christian Günter and Matthias Ginter from their injuries have significantly improved the team’s defensive line from the Black Forest. Additionally, goalkeeper Noah Atubolu has shown agility by making five saves in the match against Bochum.
Freiburg: Previous 6 Matches
| 10.03.2024 | Bochum | 1-2 | Freiburg | De1 |
| 07.03.2024 | Freiburg | 1-0 | West Ham | UEL |
| 01.03.2024 | Freiburg | 2-2 | Bayern Munich | De1 |
| 25.02.2024 | Augsburg | 2-1 | Freiburg | De1 |
| 22.02.2024 | Freiburg | 2-2 | Lens | UEL |
| 18.02.2024 | Freiburg | 3-3 | Frankfurt | De1 |
West Ham vs. Freiburg: Key Trends & Statistics
- Both teams have found the net in 5 of Freiburg’s 6 most recent games
- West Ham has won 5 of their last 7 EPL games
- West Ham has won 10 of their 19 games on home soil this term
- Freiburg has secured 56% of their season wins in the Europa League this season
- Freiburg have lost 4 of their last 6 away games in all competitions
- West Ham have won 2 of their 3 head-to-head clashes with Freiburg this season
- West Ham have won 3 consecutive Europa League home games
- West Ham have averaged 2.00 goals in their most recent UEL home fixtures
- Freiburg are unbeaten in 5 of their last 7 Europa League encounters
- Freiburg have averaged 2.22 goals in their UEL games
West Ham vs. Freiburg: Head-to-Head History
| 07.03.2024 | Freiburg | 1-0 | West Ham | UEL |
| 14.12.2023 | West Ham | 2-0 | Freiburg | UEL |
| 05.10.2023 | Freiburg | 1-2 | West Ham | UEL |
West Ham vs. Freiburg: The Betting Odds
West Ham 3/4
Draw 3/1
Freiburg 15/4
Unsurprisingly, the current Europa League odds according to football betting sites in the UK, have positioned the home side as clear betting favourites with a price point of 3/4. Moyes’ men may have stumbled in Germany last time out, but when you look at the bigger picture, the Hammers’ home form, combined with the fact that they’ve already defeated Freiburg twice during the Europa League group stage, the bookmakers’ stance on the current pricing is just.
West Ham vs. Freiburg: Prediction
The Austrian striker Michael Gregoritsch scored the only goal in the first leg. Given his performance, he might be a valuable choice to score again in this match. The 29-year-old netted the decisive goal in their recent triumph over Bochum and has been sublime in this tournament thus far.
Gregoritsch has scored a total of eight goals in the Europa League over the last two seasons. In this season’s tournament, he scored an average goal per 60 minutes. He might cause trouble for the Hammers once again, but not without a response from Moyes’ men this time out.
West Ham has been solid at home this season, while Freiburg has frequently struggled on the road. These factors, combined with the home side’s dominance over the German squad during Group A meetings of the Europa League, all point toward another win for the London side.
Expecting both teams to score is a probable outcome, however, as a 2-1 scoreline feels about right. This allows bettors to cash in on the home side twice, as the aforementioned score prediction would send this game into extra time. Based on the current odds, West Ham winning in 90 minutes at 3/4 and qualifying for the next round at 23/20 adds a double layer of value to this week’s second-leg encounter.
West Ham vs. Freiburg Best Bet: West Ham Win @ 3/4
West Ham vs. Freiburg Best Betting Value: West Ham To Qualify @ 23/20
West Ham vs. Freiburg Score Prediction: 2-1
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