Freiburg 1-2 West Ham (Sallai 49 | Paqueta 8′, Aguerd 66′)
One of the more remarkable runs in West Ham’s history goes on. They are now 17 games unbeaten in European competition, and have won 16 of them.
They took maximum points in the group stage last year and, on this evidence, they may just repeat the feat. Freiburg had lost at home only to Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Juventus since the start of last season. Add West Ham to the list. They cannot get enough of their Thursday night lights.
You suspect that David Moyes would quite like SC Freiburg in any other circumstances. They are a club emphatically committed to long-termism, with the same sporting director for 11 years and the same head coach for even longer. Christian Streich has survived relegation and several bottom-half finishes. But he knows this club more than anyone else and that has to count for something when you’re dead set on overachievement.
There were no West Ham supporters in Freiburg im Breisgau, a hangover of the ill behaviour at the Europa Conference League final.
But they were offered comradeship in their absence by a home support that filled the Europa-Park Stadion’s standing areas a full 90 minutes before kick-off.
“Football without fans is nothing – against collective stadium bans,” read the banner at the front of one stand. A few thousand shouldn’t miss out on a European trip for the crimes of a few idiots. It’s a persuasive point.
Those absent missed confidence and competence in equal portions, bar a frantic 15 minutes after half-time. In the first half they scored a goal, had another ruled out for offside and hit the post.
They were a threat on the break and a threat in possession, when a back four became a three and the full-backs became wing-backs. That allows Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus to get close to Jarrod Bowen. In the second they scored from a corner, because Moyes plus James Ward-Prowse make that an inevitability.
Bowen has been recalled to the senior England squad and Kudus has boundless potential, but Paqueta is the star. West Ham’s No. 10 may well be operating on borrowed time given serious big club interest and the investigation into his yellow cards, but he intends to make it count while he’s here and available. There are time when he is simply unplayable.
Paqueta is so worth watching because there is a dose of everything that makes us smile. He is more artist than streetfighter, but there’s plenty enough nous to be a Moyes player and the Brazilian’s physicality occasionally catches you off guard – his leap for the first goal was supreme. One crossfield pass found Paqueta taking the ball in midair with his feet in rabona position. He is the gentle reminder that this is supposed to be fun that we all need from time to time.
But then fun is all West Ham ever seem to have in Europe these days. This is their third straight season of European football, a fantastic journey of awakening and joy. They know no ceiling while the brilliant Paqueta continues to raise the roof.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/DeNIW5C
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