West Ham have been handed a familiar foe in the shape of Freiburg after the draw for the last 16 of the Europa League.
There were some tantalising possibilities for West Ham going into the Europa League last 16 draw.
AC Milan, Roma, Marseille, Benfica and Sporting were all possibilities.
But instead the Hammers will once again face Germans Freiburg – who they beat home and away in the group stages.
There’s no hiding the fact it is something of a bore draw for West Ham fans on their European journey.
But West Ham have proved they can beat Freiburg. So it does at least give David Moyes’ side realistic hope of making the quarter-finals of European competition for a third consecutive season.
Knockout football is often a different proposition altogether, though.
How have Freiburg fared since Hammers defeat?
So how have our last 16 opponents fared since West Ham beat them back in mid-December?
The Hammers topped Europa League group A by beating Freiburg 2-0 at the London Stadium on December 14th. Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez got the goals that night.
Moyes’ side could and should have won more resoundingly. West Ham also beat the Bundesliga side 2-1 in Germany with no Hammers fans present due to a UEFA ban.
Freiburg have won four, lost four and drawn three of their 11 games in all competitions since losing to West Ham in December. And they sit eighth in the Bundesliga.
Their biggest win came against another German team familiar to West Ham as Freiburg beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2 away from home. But that was just a winter break friendly.
West Ham and Germans in similar vein of form
West Ham’s last 16 opponents beat Lens 3-2 at home on Thursday night following a 0-0 draw in France.
The Hammers drew 0-0 with Lens in pre-season.
Last weekend Christian Streich’s side drew 3-3 at home with Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. That ended a run of three straight defeats to Dortmund, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen in which Freiburg conceded three goals each time.
Their form very much echoes that of West Ham.
What we do know looking at the results is that Freiburg are capable of being freescoring – particularly at home.
Freiburg capable but do ship goals
But West Ham know their opponents are definitely there to be got at defensively having shipped 49 goals in the league and Europe so far this season.
Form and results on both sides suggests a tight first leg in Germany on Thursday March 7th.
And that will mean West Ham looking to make home advantage count in the second leg at the London Stadium on March 14th.
At the away game earlier this season Freiburg fans showed solidarity with West Ham as they unfurled a banner with a message to UEFA.
The German supporters then held another banner aloft and had a very distinctive dress code for the game at the London Stadium.
READ ALSO
West Ham snatch top executive from Premier League rivals Chelsea
Paqueta tipped for sensational return but West Ham won’t be happy
West Ham board send new message to fans about Moyes via reporter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
