In the first leg of their Europa League last-16 matchup, West Ham suffered a defeat against Freiburg.
The Hammers had previously triumphed over their Bundesliga opponents twice during the group stage and seemed to be in control until Michael Gregoritsch made an impact shortly after being substituted.
The Austrian capitalized on a scramble in the penalty area, tapping in Roland Sallai’s deflected shot with nine minutes remaining.
Despite the Hammers’ hopes of earning a penalty in injury time, a prolonged Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review regarding a potential handball by Noah Weisshaupt concluded without awarding the penalty.
“I believe it’s a penalty kick,” said West Ham boss David Moyes afterwards. “In Europe they nearly give all the handballs. I don’t believe it’s the right way to go about it but I think that’s the way Uefa work.
“I find it difficult to see why not. It was harsh on us.”
His side should have been ahead long before Freiburg’s goal though.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta both missed the target from fine Mohammed Kudus crosses, and Bowen’s curling effort from the corner of the box was well saved by Noah Atubolu.
This was only Freiburg’s second win in 90 minutes in any competition in 2024.
West Ham must win next Thursday in London to have a chance of following on from their last two European runs.
Hammers fume over late VAR call
West Ham’s players and manager Moyes expressed their frustration towards the officials at the conclusion of the match, believing they were denied a penalty.
The VAR review, which involved referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez consulting the monitor for several minutes, focused on whether Weisshaupt had handled the ball inside the box.
Weisshaupt had his arms raised when Tomas Soucek, positioned behind him, played the ball against his arms.
Despite the appeals, the referee maintained his original decision of no penalty and promptly ended the game by blowing the final whistle.
Moyes continued: “Soucek kicks it up onto his arms. When two arms are above your head it’s nearly always given because the arms are not in a natural position.
“Someone is trying to claim there was a push but then play should restart with a free-kick which he didn’t do. If anything, technically the player who went to clear it probably made a mess of his clearance. That should probably be punished as well if he kicked it on to his own arm.”
Better finishing needed in home return
In 2022, West Ham reached the semi-finals of the Europa League and clinched victory in the Europa Conference League last season. This term, they secured a spot in the last 16 by topping their group, which included Freiburg.
In their previous European campaign, they swept through every match without facing a first-leg deficit. However, two years ago, they navigated a challenging situation by overcoming a 1-0 loss against Sevilla, eventually advancing after extra time at London Stadium.
Comparatively, Sevilla presented a stiffer challenge than Freiburg, who currently occupy a mid-table position in the Bundesliga. With West Ham boasting a record of ten consecutive victories in European home games, there’s little cause for alarm.
Nonetheless, there’s room for improvement in their scoring efficiency, particularly highlighted by Bowen’s lack of European goals despite his leading tally of 17 this season. In their recent match in Germany, missed opportunities included a saved shot from Bowen and failed attempts from Paqueta, Mavropanos, and Ward-Prowse’s corner. Kudus proved to be a constant threat to the home defense, creating chances and testing the goalkeeper himself.