West Ham will be targeting a piece of major silverware to end their disappointing campaign, and they remain among the favourites for glory in the Europa Conference League. However, their place in the final four isn’t yet assured, as they were held to a 1-1 draw in last Thursday’s away game against Gent.
Europa Conference League Preview
West Ham has cruised through the Europa Conference League to this point, but their first hiccup in the competition came in the opening leg of this showdown. The Hammers were held to a draw in the first clash between the sides, which was a clash littered with VAR flashpoints throughout.
West Ham went ahead on the stroke of half time, as Danny Ings scored his first European goal for the Hammers in the third minute of injury time. However, they weren’t able to hang on to their crucial advantage, as Gent levelled the scores just eleven minutes into the second half through Hugo Cuypers.
The Hammers would have been disappointed with the result, as they were widely expected to pick up a huge victory to take back to the London Stadium. But, they didn’t deserve the victory on this evening, as they mustered just two shots on target in the 90 minutes.
Gent may feel as though the first leg was their big opportunity, as West Ham was way off the pace that we have come to expect from them throughout their run to this stage of the competition. The hosts enjoyed the majority of the chances in the match, as they registered 20 shots, with four hitting the target. It will be a much tougher assignment at the London Stadium this week.
West Ham vs Gent Head to Head
Last week’s clash between the sides was only the third time that West Ham and Gent have clashed. The Hammers are unbeaten in all three previous meetings, but their only win was secured in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in September 1964.
West Ham vs Gent Prediction
West Ham will be keen to avoid any potential shock in this second leg, as they will still be expected to reach the last four of the competition. Their recent performances have been impressive, and we could see the Hammers making home advantage count this week, as they cruise to a 2-0 home win.
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