Coach Christian Streich from Bundesliga soccer club SC Freiburg wants his team to look better in the quick European Cup reunion with West Ham United than in the duels in October and December.
“The round of 16 is a huge success, but of course you always want more,” said the coach before the first leg of the round of 16 in the Europa League on Thursday (9 p.m. / RTL) against the English Premier League club. “We have previous experience. When they are on the pitch with a full band, they are an exceptionally good team.”
The Breisgauer and the Londoners already faced each other in the group phase. The English won both games (2:1, 2:0). As second in the group, SC had to take the detour via the intermediate round. There the Freiburg team eliminated the French runner-up RC Lens. The second leg at West Ham is scheduled for March 14th.
“It’s important that we don’t let ourselves be pushed behind,” said Streich before the first leg in the sold-out Freiburg stadium: “We have to have very good communication and shape the game ourselves. We also have experience and quality. The boys have to have a lot of confidence . On a good day we can stand up to West Ham.”
Specifically, Streich, who still has to do without Austrian national player Philipp Lienhart, is hoping for a similarly “courageous performance” as he did last in the league against record champions Bayern Munich (2:2).