2024-03-07 22:12:21
ÖFB striker Michael Gregoritsch struck again in the Europa League and scored German Bundesliga club SC Freiburg’s victory against West Ham United. In the first leg of the round of 16 on Thursday, the Styrian, who came on as a substitute in the 71st minute, pushed a Stangl pass over the line in the final phase (81st) and, with his fifth European Cup goal in the seventh game, gave the Freiburg team a good starting position for the second leg in London.
Gregoritsch had already promoted coach Christian Streich’s team into the next round in the play-off second leg at Lens with a goal in extra time. After the 2-2 draw against FC Bayern in the league, the Breisgauer team impressed again against the reigning Conference League winners and seventh-placed Premier League team. As has often been the case recently, match winner Gregoritsch came off the bench in the final phase; Freiburg’s attack currently includes Lucas Höler and Roland Sallai. A possible criminal handball by Freiburg’s Noah Weißhaupt left the hosts trembling until the 99th minute during a VAR check.
Liverpool celebrated a resounding win at Sparta Prague. Jürgen Klopp’s team beat the Czech record champions 5-1 (2-0) on Thursday, meaning the Premier League leaders took a big step towards the quarter-finals. Bayer Leverkusen, leaders of the German Bundesliga, averted their first defeat of the season late with a 2-2 (0-2) draw at Karabakh Agdam in Azerbaijan.
The “Reds” gained a comfortable lead in Prague in the first half. After Alexis MacAllister was fouled in the penalty area, the Argentine world champion coldly converted the penalty himself (6th). Darwin Nunez increased the score in the 25th minute with a long-range shot that didn’t look good to Sparta goalie Peter Vindahl. Shortly before the half-time whistle, the Uruguayan scored a brace (45th + 3).
Immediately after the restart, Sparta shortened the lead with an own goal from Conor Bradley, who was substituted at halftime (46′). But the “Reds” restored their three-goal lead a little later through Luis Diaz (53rd). Former Salzburg player Dominik Szoboszlai scored the final point in stoppage time (94′). Previously, a goal by Mohamed Salah, who had supposedly scored as a “joker” in the 84th minute after an injury break of several weeks, was disallowed due to an offside position.
Bayer coach Xabi Alonso rotated in Baku, with Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Jeremie Frimpong initially sitting on the bench. Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar, who replaced captain Lukas Hradecky again in the European Cup, had to defend himself twice in the first half. Yassine Benzia (26th) and Juninho (45th + 2) put the outsider in the lead. But Wirtz (70′) and Schick (92′) averted the “Werkself”‘s first defeat in the 35th competitive game of the season.
Meanwhile, AS Roma shot Premier League representatives Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 out of the Olympic Stadium and, like Liverpool, can already plan on reaching the quarter-finals. The goals for the Italian top club were scored by Paulo Dybala (13th), Romelu Lukaku (43rd), Gianluca Mancini (64th) and Bryan Cristante (68th). AC Milan beat Slavia Prague 4-2, Olympique Marseille beat Villarreal 4-0.
In the top game of the Conference League, Ajax Amsterdam and Aston Villa played out a goalless draw. A little later, Dinamo Zagreb won 2-0 against PAOK Saloniki, with the two ÖFB legionnaires Stefan Schwab and Thomas Murg coming on as substitutes in the 69th minute. ÖFB goalkeeper Heinz Lindner was on the bench in Union Saint-Gilloise’s 3-0 defeat against Fenerbahce Istanbul.
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