Sometimes, football is crazy. Like when you haven’t played against a team in your club’s entire history, and then you face them four times in less than six months. Although the side from the English capital won the first two meetings in autumn, last Thursday it was SC who put themselves in a strong position for the second leg thanks to a deserved 1-0 win.

The narrow advantage won’t lead to SCF taking a completely different approach to this game, as Christian Streich emphasised at a press conference the evening before the game. “At 1-0, the situation isn’t much different. It’s all about what we put into practice on the pitch, how brave we are and what options we give our players with the ball at their feet.” It will also be important to prepare the team for all possibilities depending on the opponent’s set-up.

Another win or a draw will see SC reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history. “We know we can achieve something big tomorrow. But we don’t want to think and talk about that too much in advance, and instead want to concentrate on the task ahead of us tomorrow,” said Maxi Eggestein, who spoke alongside his head coach in the press conference at the London Stadium.

SCF previously had the last eight in their sights last season, but were narrowly beaten by Juventus. The anticipation and excitement are just as high for Freiburg’s next evening on the European stage. “We’re incredibly excited! A few years ago, we were watching other teams play in Europe. Now, we’re playing all over the continent ourselves,” said Streich, who also heaped praise on his side: “It’s incredible how much the team are willing to give and how much they identify with the club. The fans can see that too.”

As well as the long-term absentees, Noah Weißhaupt, who also missed the league win over Bochum, will be unavailable for the second leg. It’s better news though on the parts of Philipp Lienhart and Jordy Makengo, who’ve made the journey over the channel, as have around 2,300 Freiburg supporters.

Photo: Achim Keller