SC Freiburg v West Ham United
UEFA Europa League Group A, Stadion am Wolfswinkel, Thursday 5 October 2023, 5.45pm BST
West Ham United make a first trip overseas of the 2023/24 European campaign as they head to the Stadion am Wolfswinkel to face SC Freiburg.
The Irons sit top of Group A after one round of fixtures, having beaten FK TSC Bačka Topola 3-1 at London Stadium two weeks ago. Freiburg were also victorious in their opening group stage fixture, claiming a 3-2 win away at Greek side Olympiacos.
Both sides have made decent starts to their domestic schedules this season too, with David Moyes’ Hammers sat seventh in the Premier League following Saturdays’ 2-0 win over Sheffield United.
Freiburg, meanwhile, occupy eighth in the Bundesliga following a 2-0 win against Augsburg on Sunday.
Fans are reminded that the Club is not permitted to have West Ham supporters at this game due to a UEFA ruling following incidents at the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
How To Follow…
Thursday's tie will be broadcast live in the UK by TNT Sports. More information on how to watch can be found by clicking here.
You can also follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app and across our social channels, while audio commentary is available on BBC London in the UK, and on our website and app worldwide.
Team News…
Having been suspended for the Hammers’ Group A opening contest against FK TSC Bačka Topola two weeks ago, Edson Álvarez is available again and could make his European debut for the Irons.
Aaron Cresswell remains the only absentee, having missed the last couple of games due to a hamstring injury. The experienced defender was forced off at half-time in the win over FK TSC.
Freiburg, meanwhile, remain without attacking-midfielder Daniel-Kofl Kyereh and full-back Christian Günter, due to a cruciate ligament rupture and a fractured forearm respectively.
Michael Gregoritsch has also been dealing with calf issues but manager Christian Streich will be hopeful the midfielder can recover to feature.
Opposition…
SC Freiburg are enjoying arguably the best period in their 119-year history.
The club traces its origins back to the formation of two teams in 1904. Freiburger Fußballverein 04 was formed in March of that year while FC Schwalbe Freiburg was created just two months later. Each would undergo name changes in the years that followed before, in 1912, coming together to form Sportclub Freiburg.
The side first reached the Bundesliga in 1993 and finished third in the German top flight, just three points behind winners Borussia Dortmund, in their second season at that level.
The German side finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season to qualify directly to the UEFA Europa League group stage.
This level will hold no fear for Christian Streich’s side, as they came through a Europa League group unbeaten last season that contained Olympiacos – who they face for a second season in succession – Qarabağ and Nantes. They were then beaten 3-0 on aggregate by Juventus in the round of 16.
Freiburg previously reached the group stage in 2013/14 and the Breisgau Brazilians are competing in Europe for a sixth time.
It marks a brilliant rise for the side, who were promoted back to the Bundesliga in 2016, having spent a season in 2. Bundesliga.
Previous Meetings…
The Hammers and Freiburg have met only once, facing each other nearly 100 years ago in a post-season tour match.
The Irons were on the receiving end of a 5-2 loss in May 1924, which came at the end of West Ham’s first season as a Football League First Division team. Vic Watson and John Campbell were the goalscorers for West Ham that day in what was the Club’s first-ever defeat by continental European opposition.
West Ham are no strangers to German opponents, though. The Hammers defeated TSV 1860 Munich in the 1964/65 Cup Winners' Cup final, thanks to two goals from Alan Sealey, and played two games against Borussia Dortmund a season later.
Of course, the Irons also met a German side in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals two years ago as well, being beaten by eventual tournament winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
Match Officials…
Thursday’s UEFA Europa League Group A matchday two tie away to SC Freiburg will be officiated by Swedish referee Mohammed Al-Hakim.
Born in Iraq, Al-Hakim was eight years old when he moved to Sweden with his family and settled in the town of Köping, where he still lives.
Al-Hakim became a professional referee in 2008, started officiating in the second-tier Superettan in 2011 and top-flight Allsvenskan the following year.
Since then, he has refereed a total of exactly 250 Allsvenskan fixtures, in addition to 48 Svenska Cupen ties and a variety of other cup and lower-division domestic league fixtures and promotion and relegation play-offs.
He refereed two Svenska Cupen finals in 2017 and 2023, the latter of which saw BK Häcken defeat Mjällby AIF and ultimately reach this season’s UEFA Europa League group stage.
In Europe, Al-Hakim has taken charge of games in the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League.
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim (Sweden)
Assistant Referees: Fredrik Klyver (Sweden) & Robin Wilde (Sweden)
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden)
VAR: Jérôme Brisard (France)
Assistant VAR: Clay Ruperti (Netherlands)
