Europa League Preview: West Ham United vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Contents
West Ham go into their Europa League semi-final tie against Frankfurt knowing that this tournament represents their best chance of getting into next season’s Champions League.
David Moyes’ side are currently sitting in seventh position in the Premier League and are essentially out of the race for the top-four. However, their indifferent form domestically offers a stark contrast of their brilliance on the European stage.
Frankfurt is a side that echo West Ham’s predicament, with their own domestic league form leaving a lot to be desired. They are ninth in the Bundesliga and also need to perform to their best in Thursday’s game to keep their hopes for a place in next season’s Champions League alive. The winner of this tie will go on to reach in the final, in Seville, order your Europa League final tickets here on SafeTicketCompare.com
How They Reached the Semi-finals
West Ham
West Ham successfully navigated a group stage, finishing atop of a group that included Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Wien and Genk. Although their group was relatively weak, the Hammers did have to perform against much stronger sides in the knockout games. However, they proved too good for both Seville and Lyon.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Frankfurt had a more difficult group stage than their semi-final opponents, getting out of bracket that included Olympiacos, Fenerbahçe and Antwerp.
They then had to take the might of La Liga, defeating both Real Betis and Barcelona to reach this stage. Their victory over the Catalan giants was particularly impressive. In fact, Barca never really looked in contention during that tie.
Key men – West Ham
Declan Rice
The star midfielder was nothing short of brilliant in West Ham’s quarterfinal second leg in Lyon. He martialed the defence behind him, while even managing to get forward and get on the scoresheet.
Rice, who is not known for his form in front of goal, actually has three goals in this season’s Europa League. If the Hammers are to progress to a European final, the England midfielder will be a key part of the puzzle.
Filip Kostic
Serbian midfielder Kostic has been a titan in Europe for his side this year. His goal settled things against Barcelona, and he will once again be hoping to enforce his authority on proceedings when these two sides meet.
His stats are excellent in this tournament, scoring three goals and assisting five in just nine Europa League games this season.
Who Will Win?
David Moyes will fancy his side’s chances of progression given the calibre of sides they have already knocked out. However, Frankfurt shouldn’t be underestimated.
Oliver Glasner’s team may not be in great form domestically, but they have relished the tag of underdog when playing in Europe. They are yet to lose in this competition this year and will surely hold no fear going up against West Ham.
The German team’s last trip to London saw them lose to Chelsea on penalties in semi-finals of the 2018/19 edition of this tournament. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this one go all the way too, with the Germans getting the better of the Premier League side this time around.
