West Ham's European fairytale has brought them all the way to the semi-finals, with Eintracht Frankfurt their opponents. Jake Osgathorpe previews the game, highlighting his best bet.
West Ham, in a European semi-final. I imagine it still hasn't quite sunk in with some Hammers fans that they are just three games away from a European trophy.
David Moyes's side firmly have their eggs in the Europa League basket as we head down the home straight of the season, shown by his rotation at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Declan Rice started that game on the bench, as did Manuel Lanzini, so the Hammers' stars should all be fresh for this game.
Kick-off time: 20:00 BST, Thursday
TV channel: BT Sport 1
However, there are a few concerns. Firstly, their two-legged display over Lyon was far from impressive, and they were actually fortunate to progress according to expected goals (2-leg xG: WHU 1.81 - 4.26 LYO). Defend like that again here and they may not be so lucky.
The second is again centered around their defence, but this time due to the lack of central defenders available. Craig Dawson is West Ham's only fit centre-back as they welcome Frankfurt, which is a massive problem.
It could lead to a major reshuffle and reshape of a very settled team, and that, coupled with their defensive display against another strong attacking team (Lyon), means I expect Frankfurt to get on the scoresheet here.
After all, the German side showcased what they were capable of in attack when knocking Barcelona out in the last round, racking up 1.96 xGF at the Camp Nou in a 3-2 win.
Eintracht are, and have been for a long time, prioritising this competition, which is why they sit ninth in the Bundesliga, with the 2018/19 Europa League semi-finalists looking to go one better this season.
In Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt have an excellent coach in the dugout, while boasting some fantastic attacking players capable of causing major damage to a makeshift West Ham defence.
However, they too have their frailties at the back, something the hosts will perhaps need to exploit in this first leg given their likely shortcomings.
The German side have allowed an average of 1.32 xGA per UEL game this term, and 1.59 xGA per Bundesliga game, so their defence is far from watertight.
Given the depleted nature of West Ham's backline, this may turn into a basketball game, with both sides strengths being their attacking units, and their weakness being their defences.
So, backing BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE appeals in this one.
Two-legged semi-finals do tend to be lower scoring due to the increased pressure and lack of risk-taking, but given the defensive figures discussed, we could see a high-scoring contest at the London Stadium.
West Ham v Eintracht Frankfurt best bets and score prediction
- 2pts Both Teams to Score at 4/5 (William Hill)
Score prediction: West Ham 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)
Odds correct at 1200 BST (26/04/22)
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