A crucial second leg in the quarterfinal stage of the Europa League will take place at the London Stadium on Thursday. West Ham will have a mountain to climb after losing their first leg against Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena last Thursday.
Europa League Preview
The recently crowned champions of Germany will be looking to take another stride toward an unprecedented treble this week. Bayer Leverkusen should come into this match in excellent confidence after securing their first ever Bundesliga title over the weekend, but they will be aware that there is still work to be done in this tie.
Leverkusen were in excellent form in their first clash with West Ham last week, landing a 2-0 home success following efforts from Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface. But, they likely should have won by a wider winning margin after registering a staggering 33 shots in that success at BayArena.
Leverkusen will have the big advantage ahead of this second leg, as they have progressed from their previous 13 ties when holding a two-goal advantage. But, their record away from home in England would be a slight concern ahead of this second leg, as they have claimed just one victory in their last ten trips to the country.
West Ham have an impressive record against German teams, winning three of their last four. This is also the fifth time that they have trailed by a two-goal margin following a first leg, but they have suffered elimination in each of their last three ties. But, the Hammers should come into this clash in good confidence after winning their last eleven home European matches. Seven of those victories have also been achieved by a two-goal margin.
West Ham vs Bayer Leverkusen Head to Head
The clash between the sides last week was the first time that the Hammers and Leverkusen have collided in a competitive fixture. However, Leverkusen landed their only win in ten previous trips to England on their previous journey when securing a 1-0 win over Tottenham in November 2016.
West Ham vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
West Ham have an excellent home record across European competitions under David Moyes, but this is a tough assignment against one of the most impressive teams this term. We could see the Hammers holding their rivals, but we struggle to see them getting anything more positive than a draw at the London Stadium.
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