Freiburg run wild in triumph over Olympiacos
Forging on through a ludicrous schedule considering their squad depth, Freiburg dominated Olympiacos 3-0 in the second round of the Europa League.
| Christian Streich. | Photo: Steven Schaap, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
With flares lighting up the stadium, Freiburg's Daniel-Kofi Kyereh nearly scored within the first 40 seconds of the game, but his shot was narrowly saved by keeper Tomas Vaclik. But then, Freiburg struck first.
Vincenzo Grifo's free-kick found veteran Nicolas Höfler, who headed the ball past Vaclik in just the 5th minute. It was an unreal start for the Breisgau club, who continued to boss possession as the first half wore on.
Michael Gregoritsch had several excellent chances in the first half and even hit the post approaching the quarter-hour mark. He then emphatically rocketed one home in the 25th minute to extend Freiburg's lead after Kyereh's layoff.
Freiburg were clearly the better side in the first 45, as they had several chances to widen their advantage even further before the break. But, Freiburg supporters would've thought that this game was anything but over heading into the second half, with Streich prone to take the foot off the gas once a lead is secured.
Olympiacos made several substitutions to begin the second period, but it made no difference. Gregoritsch captured his brace in the 52nd minute after the Olympiacos defense was split wide open and collapsed at the back.
Freiburg fans must've been pleased to see substitute Kevin Schade's first appearance in Europe after only his second game since March. Freiburg continued to protect their 3-0 lead and while Olympiacos supporters forcefully urged their side on, they couldn't muster the creativity to really challenge Mark Flekken.
After Gregoritsch's third goal, it was a pretty relaxing end to the game for Freiburg, who conceded some possession, but still showed some willingness to push forward. It's another clean sheet for the club from the Black Forest and a Christian Streich masterclass, as they now turn their attention to Hoffenheim this weekend.