West Ham Edge Freiburg to Stay Perfect in Europa League
West Ham continued their flawless Europa League run with a 2-1 win over SC Freiburg on Thursday. The Hammers’ boss David Moyes heaped praise on forward Lucas Paqueta, despite admitting the Brazilian’s style sometimes “drives me mad.”
Paqueta’s Classic Header Sets the Tone
Paqueta opened the scoring with an exquisite header, reminding fans of old-school football magic. Moyes called it an “old-fashioned” goal, combining a perfect cross with a classic finish. “Jarrod played well, but Lucas was terrific. He drives me mad sometimes, but everyone who watched him would say this player has incredible talent. There is a word that goes around, a maverick. He is that for us,” the manager said.
Moyes also admitted the team must adapt to Paqueta’s unconventional style. “It’s really important to get him in and accept some of his things he might not do, things which I’d say are conventional,” he added. Despite the frustration, Moyes loves having Paqueta on the pitch, praising his calmness under pressure.
Liverpool Make It Two Wins From Two In Europa League
Meanwhile, Liverpool kept their Group E lead with a 2-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise. Summer signing Ryan Gravenberch netted his first goal for the Reds just before half-time, sealing a smooth win.
Jurgen Klopp called it a “routine and incident-free win,” noting the team’s chance to learn from different scenarios. “Job done. You can’t only win if you are really exciting. It’s good for us as we can learn a lot from this game,” Klopp said.
With six points from two matches, Liverpool is top of their Europa League group and looking solid.
