Match Preview
The second edition of UEFA Europa Conference League action returns to fold on Thursday when Belgian side Gent travel to London to take on West Ham in the return leg of their Conference League quarterfinal fixture.
The Hammers walked out of the Ghelamco Arena with their heads held high after managing to salvage a draw in the away leg of the tie, despite their backline being “hammered away” by Gent’s attackers who took 16 more shots than West Ham.
David Moyes’ side is currently 2 points off the relegation zone as they sit 15th on the points table. A patch of good results in recent weeks has seen the Hammers escape out of the dreaded bottom three as they look to maintain their position in the league table.
The most recent 2-2 draw against league leaders Arsenal was another display of West Ham’s gritty performances recently. Goals from Benrahma and Jarrad Bowen helped Moyes’ men come from behind in the London Derby.
KAA Gent currently reside fourth on the Belgian Pro League standings, with the same points as fifth-placed Club Brugge with a single game to go.
The Buffaloes share ambitions of similar intensity as West Ham United. Their battle with Club Brugge for a Championship round spot is nerve-racking. A much better goal difference means that Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s side just need the same result as Brugge to qualify.
The Ghent-based club were in pole position to secure a top-four finish, but back-to-back draws now sees the side in a neck-to-neck battle. Their last outing saw Gent drop points to a lowly Mechelen with a scoreline of 1-1.
Last 5 Games
David Moyes’ West Ham United had a tragic start to the season which saw the Hammers drop out of the Europa League early on. Still battling for survival, the London side have won two, drew two, and lost a single game to Newcastle.
Gent were on a high since the start of 2023, but a string of unfavorable results in the past few games now see the Buffaloes in fourth place in the Belgian Pro League table. Unbeaten in their last five fixtures, Gent drew three and won two matches, with their last victory being a 5-0 battering of Seraing United.
West Ham United: 15th
Draw: 2-2 vs Arsenal
Draw: 1-1 vs Gent
Win: 1-0 vs Fulham
Loss: 5-1 vs Newcastle
Win: 1-0 vs Southampton
KAA Gent: 4th
Draw: 1-1 vs Mechelen
Draw: 1-1 vs West Ham
Draw: 1-1 vs Union Saint Gilloise
Win: 5-0 vs Seraing United
Win: 3-0 vs Eupen
Head To Head
The two sides have come face to face only once, which was their previous meeting in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarterfinal tie. The match ended with the scoreline of 1-1, with a goal from Cuypers helping the Buffaloes keep the tie alive.
Team News
The Italian duo of Gianluca Scamacca and Angelo Ogbonna are the only absentees for the London outfit going into the fixture. The latter will be serving his suspension in the fixture whereas Scamacca recovers from his knee injury.
Andrew Hjulsager is ruled out for Gent due to injury while Darko Lemajic is doubtful to be a part of the match-up.
Predicted Line-Ups
West Ham United:
Areola (GK), Cresswell, Kehrer, Zouma, Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio.
KAA Gent:
Roef (GK), Torunarigha, Okumu, Piatkowski, Castro-Montes, Kums, De Sart, Fofana, Hong, Cuypers, Orban.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Both sides have been in solid attacking form in the past few fixtures.
Hugo Cuypers has scored 25 goals for Gent so far this season, whereas Jarrod Bowen has netted 11 times and provided six assists for the Hammers.
When Gent travel to the London Stadium, it’ll once again be a battle of two attack-heavy teams.
Predictions
After all the scrutiny the Hammers have received throughout the season, they must be praised for their recent run of results that sees the Moyes’ men with only a single defeat.
West Ham are unbeaten in the Conference League so far, and a draw away from home means that the hosts are at an advantage heading into the return leg.
Given the attacking quality of both sides, we also back the possibility of goals being scored from both ends.
Our Prediction: West Ham United 2-1 KAA Gent, West Ham advance into the semifinals on aggregate (3-2).
Odds
West Ham to win: 2/3
Draw: 19/10
Gent to win: 31/8
*By UniBet. At the time of writing.
West Ham are clear favorites to advance into the semi-finals with a probability of above 60%.
There are high chances for goals to occur at both ends. Odds from Ladbrokes back that possibility by 10/11 (1.91).
Kickoff Time
The action kicks off at 19:00 GMT inside the London Stadium. Orel Grinfeld has been appointed as the referee.