Europe League
Freiburg’s Gregoritsch after hat trick: “Wonderful evening”
Freiburg’s coach Christian Streich (r) congratulates Michael Gregoritsch on the hat trick. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
Difficult weeks lie behind Michael Gregoritsch, who has been unhappy for a long time. In the Europa League, the Freiburg attacker’s goal drought ends in the game against Piraeus – and how.
After his goal gala in the Michael Gregoritsch from SC Freiburg was relieved in the Europa League. The hat-trick in the 5-0 (4-0) win against Olympiakos Piraeus in the Europa League were his first goals this season.
“Everyone knew how much something like that bothered me,” said the 29-year-old attacker, looking back on his lull in 14 competitive games. “But the way the team jumped at me when I scored my first goal shows that I’m in the right place here.”
The Breisgauers, who have not won in the Bundesliga for four games, will continue on Sunday (3:30 p.m./DAZN) at FSV Mainz 05. Gregoritsch still wanted to enjoy the evening first. “Sometimes you don’t know why things go in, and sometimes you don’t know why not. But for me it was a wonderful evening that I won’t forget.” The Austrian said he had only previously managed a flawless hat trick for the U21 national team.
In the duel with the Rheinhessen, the Freiburgers will probably be challenged more than by the disappointing Greeks. “We know what we have to do there. We have to give 100 percent. An evening like this is very important for us for the next games,” said Gregoritsch, who was successful against Piraeus once with his foot and twice with his head. He also prepared Kilian Sildillia’s goal to make it 4-0.