Stephen O'Donnell believes if Motherwell can score the first goal in Freiburg, it could put the tie back in the balance in their Conference League play-off. The Lanarkshire side lost the first leg 3-1 at Fir Park to the Bundesliga side, last season's Europa League finalists.
Early Lead Not Enough
Regan Charles-Cook gave Motherwell a perfect start, but after Martin Moormann's sending off, the team was left hanging on. Freiburg netted a third goal in stoppage time, leaving Motherwell with it all to do in the second leg in Germany on Thursday.
O'Donnell said: "I don't think it's something you can level at this group of is effort and we certainly gave that. Again, against a top side, we see the difference. We have £5 million, they have £50 million, so it's a big difference, but look, we're used to playing against set-ups like that."
Punching Above Their Weight
The experienced defender knows it is about flying the flag for Scotland and giving everything. He stated: "Look, I don't think you want to be setting for just competing with them. So I do think we can be better. I think that's where we strived from last season and this season to be punching above our weight. That's where we want to be. We have a brand, we have a style that we're sticking with."
O'Donnell added: "I'd expect their fans will expect them to fully dominate. Hopefully, we can try and upset them and frustrate them and get a goal. If we get a goal early, anything can happen and that's what the objective needs to be."
Patched-Up Squad
It was a patched-up Motherwell squad with Jake Girdwood-Reich at right-back. O'Donnell stated: "We had no rightback tonight. Freak incidents. Obviously, off the back of the performance or the results on at the weekend, 120 minutes. It just wasn't ideal. You have all these great plans for trying to manage minutes for boys because we are threadbare."
Charles-Cook's early goal was a highlight, with O'Donnell praising the strike: "I don't even think I'd got my seat yet. I got packed off the bench because there was no space. No, look, I think it was not only a great start, it was an amazing goal. I think the goal itself was (Emmanuel) Longelo showing the qualities he has, and a great finish from Cookie, I think it was."
Moormann's red card for conceding a penalty left Motherwell up against it. O'Donnell acknowledged: "Look, I think he'll be flat. At the time I didn't really see it. They say they pulled them back. If they pulled them back, it's a red card. I think that's the rules. I thought he was excellent again tonight. Some of his passing was brilliant, and defended well, as the team did."
Return from Injury
O'Donnell has been pushing to get involved in Motherwell's European campaign after a frustrating pre-season injury. He suffered it in the pre-season game with Aarhus and was left bemused by the injury, but is ready to start if called upon in Germany.
He said: "So I came back on with it, I didn't realise it was that. It was my shin I was worried about at the time. We were flying home the next day and I was limping about going, what's going on here? So it wasn't great. But look, again, it's football. These things will happen. I think what's more positive is it was an impact injury because you can't really help impact. So that's just football. I'm just delighted to be back and again, a wee bit to go yet to be fully fit. But a wee 15, 20 minutes tonight. I will try and work hard, to do everything I can going into the Freiburg away."
Motherwell have been hit by fines for a number of UEFA violations.
