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Europa League | Group Stage
Sep 19, 2013 at 8.05pm UK
 

2-2

Schuster (23'), Mehmedi (35')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Kalytvyntsev (67'), Rabusic (74')

Live Commentary: Freiburg 2-2 Slovan Liberec - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's coverage of the Europa League clash between Freiburg and Slovan Liberec.
2

Freiburg hosted Slovan Liberec in Group H of the Europa League and threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2.

In the first half the hosts played really well and went ahead through a Julian Schuster penalty, before Admir Mehmedi added a second.

Then an error from Oliver Baumann and an underhit backpass from Mehmedi gave Liberec a share of the spoils in a game that ended with 10 men apiece.

Read how the action unfolded below.


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Hello everyone. I'm back for the second Europa League game involving a German side. Next up are Freiburg, and they are playing Slovan Liberec in Group H.

There's not long until kickoff, so I'll get the team news across to you in time for the start.

FREIBURG XI: Baumann; Sorg, Krmas, Ginter, Gunter; Schmid, Fernandes, Schuster, Kerk, Mehmedi; Hanke

LIBEREC XI: Kovar; Kusnir, Kovac, Kelic, Fleisman; Sackey, Rybalka; Delarge, Pavelka, Frydek; Rabusic

KICKOFF: The hosts, in red, get us underway here.

Early half-chance for Mike Hanke there as he meets Mehmedi's cross from the right, but cannot direct his header under the bar. Bright start from the hosts.

CLOSE: Freiburg are by far and away seeing more of the ball early on. They have settled in well and Jonathan Schmid goes really close with an effort from 25 yards after being found by Hanke. His skidding effort goes just wide.

Whenever the visitors get on the ball, there is a red shirt or two in his face. It's a really good game plan from the hosts and they are in control so far. They could do with a few chances, mind.

CHANCE! Speak of the Devil. Hanke again is heavily involved as he holds off a challenge before playing Sorg in down the right. The defender cuts on to his left before seeing his shot deflected wide. From the corner Schmid's effort is too high.

More good play from Hanke, who finds Mehmedi to his right. The ball is pinged back across field to Gunter, whose effort is wide of the far post. Half-chance that and he would have done very well to score.

CLOSE: Another good chance there as Gunter swings it across from deep to Mehmedi, but his header from the far post goes into the side netting.

Liberec are finally coming into the game a bit more. They have had a corner and a free kick in quick succession, which looked threatening but Freiburg are having the better of it.

PENALTY TO FREIBURG!

GOAL! Freiburg 1-0 Liberec (Julian Schuster)

I think the contact was outside the box there from Kusnir on Sorg, but either way it gives Schuster the chance to score from the spot. He makes no mistake and sends Kovar the wrong way.

There really has been very little threat to the hosts' goal. Oliver Baumann has had one punch to make and that's it. Freiburg have created several half-decent chances and do deserve to be leading, even if the penalty was slightly fortunate.

Delarge tries to take things into his own hands for the visitors, but Freiburg are solid at the back and he cannot get through.

CHANCE: Liberec have a real chance, and it's the lively Delarge. Gunter misreads a cross from the left and Delarge is allowed a free shot at goal, but from the angle he cannot turn it on target.

BOOKING: Rybalka is booked for the visitors for going down in the box under no pressure at all. It may have been for his reaction, but either way he has been shown the yellow.

GOAL! Freiburg 2-0 Liberec (Mehmedi)

At first glance that's a fantastic strike. At second look, Kovar has to do better. Mehmedi hits it with power from 25 yards and Kovar gets a strong hand on it but diverts it into the top corner. He should have turned it around the post but now his side have a huge task ahead of them.

Freiburg are still zipping it around with ease at the back and ping it forward in attack with pace. Liberec have really struggled with their oppoents' workrate up top.

SAVE: Kerk fires one at goal from range, similar to Mehmedi's, but this time Kovar does his job and parries away. That must have hurt his fists though.

HALF TIME: Freiburg 2-0 Liberec

Freiburg deserve their lead and really it could be more. They passed well from the off and have attacked with strength and pace. Hanke in particular has been an excellent outlet and a focal point for their attacks.

The penalty from which Freiburg took the lead was perhaps fortunate. Sorg looked to be outside the box when he was first caught, but Schuster made no mistake from the spot. The second goal should have been kept out by Kovar but he was done by sheer power from Mehmedi.

The players are due back out shortly. I doubt there will be any changes from the hosts, but something must be altered for Liberec if they have any hope of getting back into this.

KICKOFF: The visitors get us back underway. Freiburg, well on top, will want one more to make sure of this.

Nice play from Gunter to get past Kusnir with a neat touch, but he ends up losing the ball. No matter, because Freiburg are soon back on the ball and they work it back to Baumann.

The visitors are in the game a lot more now and Rabusic in particular is looking threatening with his hold-up play. They still lack in the way of chances, however.

The second half has lacked much flow. Freiburg are still passing nicely, but they are under much more pressure.

Schmid has played really well. He has been tireless in attack and just got all the way back to win the ball and get it to his goalkeeper Baumann. They have been tireless, have Freiburg.

LIBEREC SUB:Change number two for the visitors with Vladislav Kalitvintsev replacing Isaac Sackey.

FREIBURG SUB: First change for the hosts now. The excellent Kerk comes off for Karim Guede.

GOAL! Freiburg 2-1 Liberec (Kalitvintsev)

Well, that goal will be given to Kalitvintsev, but it's as much a Baumann own goal! He's perhaps surprised at having a shot to save and what should be an easy gather ends up being spilled behind him and in! Terrible goalkeeping.

BOOKING: Schuster is brought down by Rabusic and it was late enough to warrant a yellow card. Too eager.

Liberec have a spring in their step now and are looking threatening down the right hand side. Schuster makes an excellent tackle and then uses the momentum from that to gee up his teammates. Good captaincy.

GOAL! Freiburg 2-2 Liberec (Rabusic)

Oh my word. Where has this come from? If Baumann's error was bad, MEhmedi's pass just then was suicidal. He didn't look and only picked out Rabusic, who couldn't believe his luck and made no mistake with his finish. It's 2-2 when the hosts should have been out of sight.

POST! Rabusic meets a free kick and flicks goalwards with his head. His effort is kept out and he puts the rebound against the post!

RED CARD! Guede is off! He came on as a sub and has now been handed his second yellow card for handball. He mistimes a jump and it hit his arm. This could get worse for the hosts!

It's now rare for Freiburg to go forward, but they have won a throw in. At the other end Sorg almost plays a suicidal back header to Baumann, but it had just enough on it. They're still living dangerously.

Liberec are certainly finishing the stronger side as Kalitvintsev has a shot blocked for a corner. Can they work anything here?

That's a really good chance for Oliver Sorg to cross, but he cuts back instead and only finds a man in blue. Then Schmid goes down a bit softly in the box, but nothing given.

SAVE! Great tip over from Baumann there as Fleisman's strike from way out was arrowing in. It's a late corner for the visitors.

FREIBURG SUB: Mehmedi comes off for Francis Coquelin. Mehmedi had a good game up until his massive error for 2-2.

There will be four minutes added on. Can either side win?

RED CARD! The referee has ruined it in this half. Rybalka slightly tugs down Schmid there and gets his second yellow to even the numbers.

Late corner here for Freiburg. It could well be the last act of the game...

FULL TIME: Freiburg 2-2 Slovan Liberec

Wow. What a game that was. Full of class from Freiburg in the first half and full of errors in the second. It's a point apiece and you won't see a harder earned one for quite some time.

That's all there's time for from me. Thanks for being there and be sure to stick around for the reaction to all of tonight's football.

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Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich prior to kick-off against Bayer Leverkusen on August 10, 2013
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