West Ham’s first run deep into European competition for a generation sees them pitted against familiar foes in the Europa League semifinals as Eintracht Frankfurt travel to east London in a repeat of the 1976 Cup Winners’ Cup semifinal. On that day the English side emerged victorious in one of the greatest nights in the history of West Ham’s old Boleyn Ground (they would ultimately lose the final to Anderlecht) and this match is certain to live long in the annals of their new ground if they are successful.
David Moyes is certainly putting everything into this competition and rested a string of key players for the weekend defeat to Chelsea. He knows his side will face a tough test against Frankfurt, vanquishers of Barcelona in the quarter finals and playing in their third Europa League knockout round over the last four years. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Thursday, April 28 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: London Stadium — London
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: West Ham -110; Draw +250; Eintracht Frankfurt +300 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | West Ham United vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Storylines
West Ham: Though supporters have been more than happy with the one center back they are certain to have available for Thursday’s game — not for nothing do they nickname him Ballon D’awson — their defensive options are set to be seriously stretched at the London Stadium with only Craig Dawson available. Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop are both out for the remainder of the season while Kurt Zouma faces a race against time to play any role in the tie.
In defeat to Chelsea, Moyes surrounded Dawson with full backs Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell in a back three, something which seems like the most likely approach for Thursday with the manager understandably reluctant to take Declan Rice out of the midfield position where he is among the best in the world.
Eintracht Frankfurt: The German club’s social media account is certainly not skimping on offering bulletin board material for their opponents, who they described as “a club in the shadow of the London heavyweights enjoying a recent boom.” Frankfurt, meanwhile, are no giants themselves and would describe themselves as a “middle class club,” albeit one that could bring 30,000 travelling supporters to the Camp Nou, where they claimed a famous victory in the second leg of their quarterfinal. Unsurprisingly, West Ham have put in stringent measures in a bid to block the London Stadium becoming the sea of white shirts that the Catalan ground was.
Frankfurt seem to have a game that suits this competition with the devastating transition play of Filip Kostic, Daichi Kamada and Rafael Borre bound to unsettle the Hammers’ defense.
Prediction
Their weakened backline will do well to hold up under pressure, but the sheer willpower of the London Stadium may just carry West Ham across the line in the first leg. PICK: West Ham 2, Eintracht Frankfurt 1
KVSP