Showdown before the final in Sevilla!
The Europa League is of utmost importance for both Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham United. The SGE needs the overall victory to play internationally again in 2022/23. For the Hammers, too, the chances of reaching Europe via the Premier League have shrunk drastically after four winless games in a row. Accordingly, both teams go into the second leg focused.
The Hessians have the better starting position with the 2-1 away win from the first leg. However, things did not really go well at home in the 2021/22 season. The SGE have won only four of their 16 home games in the Bundesliga and are 16th in the home table. Nevertheless, the odds are slightly in favour of the Eagles ahead of the clash between Frankfurt and West Ham.
Although Eintracht have reached the next round in nine knockout matches in UEFA competitions in which they have won the first leg away from home. However, with the away goals rule abolished, a 1-0 win is enough for the Hammers to force extra time. It was not until the quarter-finals that West Ham bounced back from a 1-1 draw at home to Lyon, winning the second leg 3-0.
Frankfurt – statistics & current form
Eintracht Frankfurt won the UEFA Cup in 1980. 42 years later, this coup is now to be repeated in the competition now known as the Europa League. Three years ago, the Hessians already had a sniff at the final, but then failed to reach it in a penalty shoot-out against Chelsea.
Now, too, a team from London could block the SGE’s path to the final. However, the Eagles are in a very good position going into the second leg. Even a draw would be enough for the men from the Main metropolis to progress to the final.
Only one win among the last six international home games
However, the meagre home record speaks against Eintracht. The Frankfurt side have won just four of their 16 home games in the Bundesliga (six draws, six defeats). The Eagles remained unbeaten internationally in the 2021/22 season. In the Europa League, however, things did not go too well in their own stadium.
The Hessians won just one of their six international home games this season. Overall, the Europa League record reads well with 15 wins from 25 home games in this competition (seven draws, three defeats). However, it is clear that the SGE is no longer the home power it was in years gone by.
Never been knocked out after away win in first leg
All the more reason for Oliver Glasner’s team not to need a home win after the away win. Even the draw is enough for the SGE to enter the final.
Predicted Frankfurt line-up:
Trapp – Touré – Hinteregger – Tuta – Rode – Sow – Kostic – Knauff – Kamada – Hauge – Borré
Last matches played by Frankfurt:
Bundesliga
03/05/2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 2 – 0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Europa League Final Stage
29/04/2022 – West Ham 1 – 2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Bundesliga
23/04/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 2 – 2 Hoffenheim
17/04/2022 – Union Berlin Europa League Final Stage
15/04/2022 – FC Barcelona 2 – 3 Eintracht Frankfurt
West Ham – Statistics & current form
West Ham United were in the mix for a long time in the fight for the UEFA Champions League in the 2021/22 season in the Premier League. However, in the home stretch of the season, the players from London’s East End lost their way.
David Moyes’ side have gone winless in four successive league games (one draw, three defeats) and now sit seventh in the Premier League, six points off sixth place.
Even in the quarter-finals with a clear improvement in the second leg
The Europa League is correspondingly important for the Irons. With the overall victory, the ticket for the Champions League could be solved for the first time in the club’s history. For this to happen, however, the Hammers need an away win at Deutsche Bank Park.
West Ham already proved in the quarter-finals that they have what it takes to turn the game around. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg against Olympique Lyon, David Moyes’ men celebrated a convincing 3-0 victory away in France.
Always scored in seven of last eight international away games
While the Irons bring neither momentum (just one win among their last seven competitive away games) nor a convincing international record at foreign stadiums (just four wins among 12 international away games in this competition).
Nevertheless, Frankfurt’s betting on the Londoners to win away at Deutsche Bank Park and force at least extra time against West Ham is fundamentally well placed. After all, the Hammers have scored at least one goal in seven of their last eight international away games.
Predicted West Ham line-up:
Aréola – Cresswell – Zouma – Dawson – Johnson – Rice – Soucek – Fornals – Lanzini – Bowen – Antonio
Last matches played by West Ham:
Premier League
01/05/2022 – West Ham 1 – 2 FC Arsenal
Europa League Final Stage
29/04/2022 – West Ham 1 – 2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Premier League
24/04/2022 – Chelsea FC 1 – 0 West Ham
17/04/2022 – West Ham 1 – 1 Burnley
Europa League Final Stage
15/04/2022 – Lyon 0 – 3 West Ham
Frankfurt – West Ham Direct comparison / H2H-Balance
Head to head: 2 – 0 – 1
There have been three must-win games between the two teams so far. As well as the SGE’s 2-1 win in the first leg, the Frankfurt side also won their only international home game to date against the Hammers 2-1, but still failed to reach the semi-finals of the 1976 European Cup Winners’ Cup due to a 3-1 defeat in the second leg.
Frankfurt – West Ham Tip
In principle, the forecast for Frankfurt against West Ham is for the SGE to progress. However, the Eagles have a very difficult road ahead of them. The Londoners, who already scored three times on aluminium in the first leg, are definitely capable of scoring the away goal. In addition, the Hessians have been much more susceptible at home this season than away from home.
Accordingly, there is a lot of value in betting that the Irons will be ahead in regulation time and thus force at least extra time.
