Gregoritsch Helps Freiburg Past Bochum Ahead Of West Ham Trip

Muhammad Irfan Published March 11, 2024 | 12:20 AM

Berlin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Mar, 2024) Goals from Michael Gregoritsch and Maximilian Eggestein took Freiburg to a 2-1 win at Bochum in the Bundesliga on Sunday ahead of next week's pivotal Europa League second leg at West Ham.

Fresh from scoring the only goal to give Freiburg a 1-0 advantage in their last-16 tie ahead of Thursday's return meeting in London, Gregoritsch's strike again proved the difference.

Eggestein gave the visitors the lead with a 36th-minute goal, blasting in a looping Gregoritsch header.

Gregoritsch headed an inch-perfect Ritsu Doan pass to double the visitors' lead early in the second half.

Ivan Ordets' header halved the deficit with just under half an hour remaining but it was not enough for the home side.

"We were hanging on at the end. I'm glad we got over the line," Gregoritsch told DAZN.

Bochum have now lost two in a row at home since beating Bayern Munich 3-2 in mid-February.

Freiburg, who sit eighth after the win, can qualify for the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the first time by avoiding defeat at West Ham.

Eintracht Frankfurt beat a nine-man Hoffenheim 3-1 at home, extending the gap between the two clubs to seven points and tightening the hosts' grip on sixth place, the final guaranteed European spot.

Hoffenheim's United States defender John Brooks went from hero to villain, opening the scoring after six minutes but seeing red 16 minutes later for a last-man tackle on Omar Marmoush.

Frankfurt made their advantage count, scoring three unanswered goals through Robin Koch, Eric Dina Ebimbe and Mario Goetze.

Hoffenheim lost former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak to a second yellow card with 12 minutes remaining.

Later on Sunday, Bayer Leverkusen can restore their lead atop the Bundesliga table to 10 points with a win over Wolfsburg.

Second-placed Bayern Munich narrowed the gap to seven points with their 8-1 win over Mainz on Saturday, with England striker Harry Kane hitting his fourth hat-trick of the season.