Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were at the heart of many good things West Ham did during the 2-1 Europa League victory over SC Freiburg.
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West Ham United have continued their impressive form in Europe after posting a hard-fought 1-2 win over SC Freiburg in the Europa League. The Hammers showed great resilience to register the three points despite playing away from home. It is not an easy place for any side to play, hence, the result will be extra special for the Premier League outfit. Notably, two attacking players of West Ham, particularly, had a good game.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were at the heart of many good things West Ham did during the 2-1 Europa League victory over SC Freiburg. Speaking after the game, Bowen was happy with the three points they managed to secure. “We started very well. We got our press right, we hurried them and we got the early goal. But we knew we weren’t going to control all the game. They’re a tough side and they’ve done so well in Europe and in the Bundesliga over the years. With the atmosphere we were playing in, it was difficult, but we dug in well and we won the three points,” he told West Ham TV.
Bowen then went into detail to explain the first goal scored by Lucas Paqueta, as he also showered praise on the Brazilian midfielder. “The first goal was nice. It was something we’ve worked on, with myself playing as the No9. I saw the space in behind and I got in behind, and it was about finding someone with the cross. And what a leap from Lucas Paquetá! It was a great header to put us in the lead and it was nice to see something we’ve worked on pay off. Lucas gets better with every game we play in and you never know what he’s going to do with the ball,” he explained.
He added: “He’s got so much about him, with so much flair and control. But the one main thing when playing for this Club is the hard work. And you can see he’s always running around, wanting to win the ball back and take the tackles from the opposition. He takes the pressure off us and, when we need a focal point, we know we can rely on him. He’s getting better in every game and I love playing with him.”
Even though Freiburg equalised at the start of the second half, West Ham never gave up and kept going until they got the winner through Nayef Aguerd from a James Ward-Prowse corner. “We knew there was going to be a reaction in the second half. We maybe could have managed it better but we were the better team in the first half, and they had a goal to chase,” he stated.
He added: “They knew they had to score and they were able to do that, but then we managed the game well and we created more opportunities, and then we got the important goal. It came from a set-piece that we’ve been working on, and with Prowsey’s deliveries you’ve always got a chance. We scored two really good goals and got a good result.”
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