David Moyes believes his West Ham United team are ready to embrace the challenge of knockout European football for the third consecutive season.
The Irons have successfully negotiated the round of 16 in each of the previous two campaigns, defeating Sevilla of Spain in the UEFA Europa League in thrilling style in 2021/22, then overwhelming AEK Larnaca of Cyprus in the UEFA Europa Conference League last term.
This time around, in 2023/24, the Hammers take on SC Freiburg of Germany in the Europa League – who they have already beaten home and away in the group stage of the same competition – and victory would put Moyes’ men among very select company.
An aggregate win would see West Ham become one of a small number of clubs to have reached a European quarter-final in each of the previous three seasons. Bayern Munich are one, having reached this season’s UEFA Champions League last-eight, while Manchester City and Real Madrid are seeking to do likewise, and AS Roma and Benfica are looking to reach the Europa League quarter-final.
Of course, victory over Freiburg, who drew with Bayern in the Bundesliga themselves last Friday evening, is far from assured, but Moyes and his players can draw on their experience and the confidence taken from back-to-back Premier League wins over Brentford and Everton, as well as the energy provided by 2,000-plus West Ham fans who were absent from their first visit to this southwest German city in October when they take to the pitch on Thursday evening.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the manager reflected on playing 33 European matches over the previous three campaigns, and looked ahead to the next two, which will be played over the coming eight days…
Team news for Freiburg
We’ve got a question mark about Nayef Aguerd and Maxi [Cornet] has not travelled so we’ll have to see how those boys are, but apart from that everybody else is fit and healthy.
We’ve been very impressed with the partnership of Emerson and Lucas Paquetá for most of this season. Lucas Paquetá has only just come back from injury which has been a big miss for us as he has been great and it has also benefitted Emerson’s performances as well, so both of them have done really well.
Making European experience count against familiar foes
We hope that our experiences over the last two seasons in Europe will help us. We’ve also been here already not too long ago and Freiburg have also been at London Stadium not too long ago and what effect that has on the game I’m not sure, but we hope we can continue getting to the latter stages of European competitions.
I’ve no idea how it goes [as to whether it is a help or a hindrance]. I think the interesting thing about the whole competition is that there were three team drawn against each other again who were group winners and runners-up (Bayer Leverkusen v Qarabağ FK and Atalanta v Sporting Lisbon), so it’s happened three times which is an interesting draw.
Obviously, Freiburg have had to beat Lens over two legs [in the knockout play-off round], which was a rally good result to beat them over two legs, and we’ll have to come here and try to play very well again and get positive results.
Planes, trains and German strikes
I hope the West Ham supporters here are able to travel as there has been some disruption. That doesn’t sound like Germany to me, as I thought it was only the UK which had trouble with trains and planes and not Germany, so I hope they get here all well.
I think the atmosphere in German stadiums is incredible, probably better than the Premier League with the exception of one or two clubs, so I expect another great atmosphere on Thursday night and I hope the West Ham fans enjoy the experience and get here safely.
We’re back on form
I obviously want us to have an another great run in Europe and I would like us also to finish strong and hopefully qualify for Europe again in the [Premier] League.
I agree we've had a month or so when we've not been so good, but I think we're back on form at the moment. We've won two good games recently and I just sense that we're beginning to get back to where we should be. So, I hope that we can show that starting tomorrow night again and continue.
Our results dipped, but I generally didn't feel that we were doing so bad. I felt our League position was strong. We had won the group in Europe.
We could look back again and I’ve had to mention a few times just to keep reminding people that it wasn't so long ago in that that happened [in December]. But obviously everybody wants it now and I accept it and understand that and I think we're showing people that we're not going away, we’re resilient and we'll keep challenging and we'll keep trying to push to improve.
Our European stats are impressive
Our European stats are impressive, I have to say. I think for West Ham to be a European club in the first place was incredible.
I remember it greatly the game we qualified [against Southampton in May 2021], and the celebration because we were going on a European tour.
We've never been on it now for three years, and we've played over 30 games in the three years in Europe, which has given you an idea of what we've had to do so it’s a good stat and we want to keep it going and we want to build on it.
I didn't know how to 40% of all the games as a as a West Ham manager in charge in Europe so I take it and hopefully we can keep it going.
