Match Preview: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 West Ham Prediction and Betting Tips | EUROPA LEAGUE

Eintracht Frankfurt – West Ham Prediction and Tips for today, May 5, 2022

Football: EUROPA LEAGUE – PLAY OFFS – SEMI-FINALS
Kick-off: 20:00 Eintracht Frankfurt – West Ham
Tip: Under 3.5 Goals
Odds: 1.36
Bookmaker: Bet365
Match Result: 1:0 WON!!!

Eintracht Frankfurt – West Ham Preview

  • A place in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final awaits either Eintracht Frankfurt or West Ham, but it’s the German side who currently hold a 2-1 advantage from the first leg as they seek a first European final appearance in 42 years. Avoiding defeat will see Frankfurt progress to that elusive final, and that is something they have managed in all 11 of their UEL games so far this term (W6, D5), though some rocky home form of late (W1, D4, L5) raises questions over their credentials.
  • History now beckons for the home side, who aim to go one step further than their UEL semi-final exit of 2018/19 (vs Chelsea), but given Adi Hütter’s side have won just one of their last six UEL home games (D4, L1), a nervy night may be in store in Frankfurt. However, those nerves may be eased by the fact Frankfurt have won all nine previous UEFA ties in which they recorded an away victory in the first leg!
  • West Ham boss David Moyes surprised many by electing to rest just a couple of his key men in Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Arsenal. Big names such as Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen still played 90 minutes, and West Ham will again look to those players for inspiration on Thursday as they seek to overturn a first-leg home defeat in a UEFA tie for only the second time in their history.
  • With the abolishment of the away goals rule, West Ham need at least a two-goal victory to secure progression by avoiding penalties, but after losing six of their last seven away games (W1) there are no guarantees of that here. Three of West Ham’s last five UEL away games have seen the ‘Hammers’ claim wins by at least a two-goal cushion though (D1, L1) and a repeat would see West Ham become the first team in history to win a UEL semi-final after losing the first leg at home!
  • Players to watch: Frankfurt’s Ansgar Knauff opened the scoring after 51 seconds in the first leg and both his UEL goals this term have been game openers, whilst in contrast, West Ham’s Bowen has seen two of his three UEL goals serve as the game’s last.