Will the Eintracht fairytale continue in London?
This coming Thursday it’s that time again! The magical SGE will once again do the honours in the Europa League. Now the semi-finals await the Frankfurt team, who are still dreaming of a big coup in this competition. Nothing seems out of the question after the spectacular success at Camp Nou. However, it is also clear that the task against West Ham United promises to be a completely different one.
Although the Premier League club certainly doesn’t have the individual quality of FC Barcelona, they have one very decisive advantage on their side on Thursday night: home advantage! Unlike a fortnight ago, when more than 30,000 travel-loving Hessians turned the Catalan football temple into a fortress of their own, this time the host’s supporters will be clearly outnumbered in London.
Possibly this is also one of the main reasons why lower odds are offered on the home win in the first leg between West Ham and Frankfurt. Accordingly, the team of coach David Moyes is treated as favourite, although we are of course far from underestimating Eintracht. They are only the fourth team in Europa League history to reach the semi-finals without defeat. Chapeau!
West Ham – Statistics & current form
For the first time since the 2013/14 season, West Ham United are contesting a semi-final of a major competition. Eight years ago it was the semi-final of the English League Cup, which they lost 9-0 to Manchester City after a first leg and a second leg. On the international stage, we have to look much further back in history. In 1975/76, the Hammers were among the best four teams in the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the last time. At that time, by the way, also against Frankfurt.
In the current season, the Premier League club even has good chances of reaching the final, because if we look at the odds on the “To-Qualify” market before the first leg on Thursday evening between West Ham and Frankfurt, the team of coach David Moyes is given the slightly better chances of making it to the final in Seville on 18 May.
West Ham have also knocked out prestigious clubs
Speaking of Sevilla, Andalusia’s record Europa League and UEFA Cup winners (six titles in all) Sevilla FC were one of two clubs to be eliminated on their way to this preliminary round. In the quarter-finals, the English side also deservedly got the better of Olympique Lyon after a 1-1 first-leg draw and a 3-0 win in France.
Three of the five home matches were won over the entire EL season. They also conceded only two goals at the London Stadium. In general, in six of the ten European Cup matches this season, there was a defensive zero! In seven out of ten cases, Soucek, Antonio and Co. scored at least two goals of their own, which underlines the potential of the team. At the same time, these figures also provide arguments for betting on a home win between West Ham and Frankfurt.
Moyes will have to improvise in defence
After picking up just one point from their last three Premier League encounters, there is also a certain amount of pressure on the Irons. Failure to win the Europa League could mean a 2022/23 season without international duty.
Another complicating factor is that the personnel situation is tense. With Diop, Zouma and Ogbonna, three potential starting centre-backs are out. However, compared to the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea at the weekend, Rice, Antonio and Bowen, perhaps the three most important individual players, return to the starting eleven. It is quite possible that coach Moyes will once again rely on a three-man defence.
Predicted West Ham line-up:
Areola; Johnson, Dawson, Cresswell; Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Masuaku; Fornals, Bowen; Antonio
Last matches played by West Ham:
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
Premier League
10/04/2022 – Brentford 2 – 0 West Ham
Europa League Final Stage
08/04/2022 – West Ham 1 – 1 Lyon
Frankfurt – Statistics & current form
Eintracht Frankfurt and the Europa League: it just fits like a glove! For the second time after 2018/19, the Hessians have once again reached the semi-finals of the second most important European club competition. Back then, the team under the direction of former coach Adi Hütter narrowly failed to reach the semi-finals after a penalty shoot-out against Chelsea. Now another English hurdle awaits the SGE, which has been on the lips of many football fans around the world for a fortnight at the latest.
The 3:2 away win at FC Barcelona will remain unforgotten for decades. Even more impressive than the sporting performance of the eagle-bearers, however, was the “invasion” of the fans in Spain’s largest football stadium. Well over 30,000 supporters created a home match atmosphere at Camp Nou and were certainly partly responsible for the fact that the team surpassed itself.
Eintracht fans will find the stadium experience more difficult
It will now be interesting to see whether Kevin Trapp and Co. can ensure a good result away from home even with a little less support. The fact is that no five-figure number of Eintracht sympathisers will make it to the stadium this time. The away game remains an away game, which is why we would be cautious about predicting a double X2 chance or even an away win in the West Ham vs Frankfurt clash on Thursday evening.
Despite all the emotion that arises when talking about Eintracht Frankfurt, it should not be forgotten that “only” five of the ten matches played in the competition so far have been victorious. Nevertheless, they are the only semi-finalists who are still unbeaten. Excitingly, all three previous clubs to reach the Europa League’s final round without defeat either won the title (Villarreal, Chelsea) or at least reached the final (Liverpool).
Eintracht must make personnel changes
But the Hessians will have to improve, especially defensively, if they really want to pull off the big coup of winning the title and qualifying for the Champions League. In the past 18 Europa League matches, the black-and-red team has only recorded one clean sheet. In the last eight international matches this season, they have always conceded at least one goal. It is therefore conceivable that a prediction of over 2.5 will pay off in the first leg of the West Ham vs Frankfurt match.
Like the home side, the Bundesliga side will have to do without two important players. N’Dicka and Jakic are suspended. Djibril Sow will replace the latter in central midfield, and veteran Hasebe can hope to start at the back. Touré would also be a candidate to start.
Otherwise, there are hardly any reasons to strive for changes. Kostic and Knauff will plough the sides, while Kamada, Lindström and Borre are expected to set the tone up front with their creativity. And that, if possible, more than in the Bundesliga, where Eintracht have not won any of their last five matches and have only scored three goals of their own in this period.
Predicted Frankfurt line-up:
Trapp; Tuta, Hinteregger, Hasebe; Knauff, Sow, Rode, Kostic; Kamada, Lindstrom; Borre
Last matches played by Frankfurt:
Bundesliga
23/04/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 2 – 2 Hoffenheim
17/04/2022 – Union Berlin 2 – 0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Europa League Final Stage
15/04/2022 – FC Barcelona 2 – 3 Eintracht Frankfurt
Bundesliga
10/04/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 2 SC Freiburg
Europa League Final Stage
08/04/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 1 FC Barcelona
West Ham – Frankfurt Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
As is well known, football writes the most beautiful stories. Even more beautiful when they actually repeat themselves. The only two direct duels between West Ham and Frankfurt date back to the 1975/76 season, when the clubs also met in the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Eintracht won 2-1 at home in the Waldstadion, but lost 3-1 in the second leg at Upton Park and were eliminated. From a German perspective, hopefully not a bad omen for Thursday’s
West Ham – Frankfurt Tip
The anticipation for the two Europa League semi-finals with German participation is growing by the minute. Even a final on 18 May with two Bundesliga teams seems within the realms of possibility. While RB Leipzig are favourites to win the first leg against Glasgow Rangers, the betting odds on West Ham against Frankfurt are in favour of the English side.
Although the visitors from the Rhine-Main region have played an outstanding European Cup season so far and are the only semi-finalists still unbeaten (five wins, five draws), we are sceptical whether Eintracht will be able to excel again at the London Stadium. That’s not least because 3,000 – 5,000 SGE fans are expected in the English capital this time, less than a sixth of the supporters who made the quarter-final second leg at Camp Nou a home game.
Apart from that, it should give pause for thought that the Hammers scored at least twice in seven of their ten Europa League matches in 2021/22 and managed to go nil on six occasions. In general, we think the Irons are a bit stronger as a Premier League club in terms of quality. Remember: In 2018/19, Frankfurt’s dream of winning the Europa League title ended in the semi-finals against a club from the island – then it was Chelsea.
