West Ham have a chance to win their first European trophy since 1965 on Wednesday night when they face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in Prague.
Pablo Fornals netted a 94th-minute winner against AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League semi-final second leg last month to secure West Ham's spot in the final of the competition, and the Hammers will face Italian side Fiorentina after their 4-3 aggregate win over Basel. Like David Moyes' side, I Viola missed out an a European spot in the league this season, meaning the only way either club could secure a Europa League spot next season is by winning on Wednesday.
The last time the Hammers lifted a European title was in 1965, with Alan Sealey scoring twice to beat 1860 Munich 2-0 in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. West Ham reached the final of the same competition in 1976, but they fell to a 4-2 defeat against Anderlecht.
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So, could the Hammers win the Europa Conference League? Let's take a look.
Fiorentina vs West Ham score predicted by simulation
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Terracciano; Dodo, Quarta, Milenkovic, Biraghi; Amrabat, Mandragora; Gonzalez, Bonaventura, Ikone; Cabral.
We predict that Hammers could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice, Paqueta; Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma.
West Ham were controlling in the opening stages, with the Hammers dominating the game and peppering the Fiorentina goal with shots. Jarrod Bowen struck the post after 11 minutes with a curling strike from distance, and in the 18th minute, West Ham took a deserved lead.
Tomas Soucek won back possession on the halfway line as Fiorentina pushed out of defence, allowing Moyes' side to hit the Italian side on the break. After releasing the ball, Soucek's run wasn't tracked, and after being picked out by Declan Rice, the midfielder drilled a powerful strike into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
The Hammers continued pushing forward after scoring the opener, with momentum on their side. And just four minutes after Soucek's goal, West Ham grabbed a second in tremendous style.
Lucas Paqueta found Aaron Cresswell's bursting run down the left, and the defender whipped a cross towards Bowen at the back post. The Englishman chested the ball into the air, and some fantastic improvisation saw the forward volley the ball under the 'keeper with an overhead kick.
Fiorentina started strongly in the second half, but two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes for striker Arthur Cabral saw the Brazilian sent off, making the last at hand even tougher for the Italian side. Despite this, they continued to push forward, and they pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute.
A long ball forward from Lucas Martinez Quarta beat West Ham's backline and picked out the run of Antonin Barak, and the midfielder beat Alphonse Areola at his near post to make it 2-1. Despite a late period of pressure, West Ham defended well, and they held on to win the game.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Fiorentina 1-2 West Ham
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that West Ham could win the Europa Conference League, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the simulation. A fantastic attacking display in the first half was followed by a strong defensive outing in the second, leading the Hammers to one of their best wins in history.
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