West Ham will collide with Freiburg in a winner-takes-all clash on Thursday evening.
The London Stadium will stage what could be a dramatic denouement to Group A of the Europa League with both sides locked on 12 points going into the final round of games.
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Avoiding defeat will be the main focus for the Hammers, and they will advance directly to the Round of 16 with a draw or better.
A loss, on the other hand, will see the East London outfit face one of the Champions League dropouts in a dreaded two-legged play-off round.
Freiburg, in the meantime, have hit form at the perfect time, reeling off three straight wins in all competitions, and they will be hoping to continue their recent resurgence.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher, and it could have the ingredients of an absorbing contest.
To set the mood ahead of kick-off, I have provided a full pre-match preview and tapped into a couple of betting tips for you to mull over.
West Ham to do things the hard way
Despite their domestic inconsistencies, that shouldn’t detract from West Ham’s wonderful Europa League odyssey.
Five games has yielded 12 points, and let’s not forget that apart from lifting the Europa Conference League last year, they reached the semi-finals of this competition two years ago.
After crashing back down to earth unceremoniously in the Premier League with a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Fulham, David Moyes gave his players two days off to help combat sickness and fatigue.
This will be the Hammers’ 24th game in all competitions, and fixture pile-up for most clubs with European commitments is always a concern.
Freiburg, on the other hand, have been in free-scoring mode, netting 17 times in Group A, and they are bound to ask serious questions of the Hammers backline.
Michael Gregoritsch, in particular, has hit a bit of a purple patch in front of goal, and he grabbed a hat-trick in Freiburg’s 5-0 evisceration of Olympiakos in their last Europa League group outing.
It could be one of those edgy nights at the London Stadium, and West Ham might have to do things the hard way to get the job done.
I have a predilection that the Hammers will prevail, although the winning margin may only be by one goal. Paddy Power is advertising an inviting price of 13/5 for that outcome.
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West Ham vs Freiburg Tips
Our First Prediction
James Ward-Prowse to exhibit set-piece prowess
West Ham aren’t short of attacking threat, and their 2-1 win in the reverse fixture away to Freiburg back in October underlined this.
Although his scoring output is down compared to last season where he struck 11 times in all competitions for his old club Southampton, James Ward-Prowse can be deadly from set-pieces.
With only three goals to his name this term, Ward-Prowse will be looking to bolster that tally.
He could unlock the Freiburg defence via a free-kick, and he could fizz one into the top corner.
To round things off, I am siding with Ward-Prowse to score from outside the penalty area, and he’s trading at 6/1 with William Hill to do so.
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West Ham vs Freiburg Tips
Our Second Prediction
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