Europe League
0-0 in Lens: Relief prevails at SC Freiburg
Elye Wahi (l) and Freiburg’s Yannik Keitel in a duel. photo
© Thibault Camus/AP/dpa
SC Freiburg’s Bundesliga appearances have been sobering recently. At RC Lens, the Breisgauers were able to show their Europa League face again – especially in defense.
After three recent defeats in the Bundesliga, the SC Freiburg was relieved after the goalless draw at RC Lens in the first leg of the Europa League playoffs.
“We kept a clean sheet again. That was very important after the last few games,” said Yannik Keitel in an RTL interview. The 24-year-old midfielder was in the starting line-up for the first time since October, but due to a few absences he found himself in an unfamiliar position in the center of defense.
“We had good periods of possession”
Freiburg had the better opportunities in the duel with the French league sixth place. However, Roland Sallai hit the crossbar and Maximilian Eggestein from close range was denied by keeper Brice Samba.
“It was our turn to play a good game again,” said Eggestein, recalling the nine goals conceded in the last three league games. “We had good periods of possession, found solutions when playing forward and didn’t play harakiri when we won the ball.”
Second leg on Thursday
The second leg against Lens is next Thursday (6.45 p.m.) in Freiburg. A win in front of a home crowd is enough for the Breisgau team to move into the round of 16.
Conference League representative Eintracht Frankfurt is coming to the sports club on Sunday (3:30 p.m./DAZN). “We took the basics from this game and will try to implement them again,” said Streich. “It’s a different game, Merlin Röhl is suspended – another one gone. That’s why we have to see who we’re playing with. But everyone has to stay on the ground and know what’s at stake and why we’re having a good game here have delivered.”