West Ham's Roadmap To Beating Eintracht Frankfurt
Let's take a look at what needs to go right for the Hammers in tonight's Europa League semi-final second leg.
It’s now or never for West Ham in the Europa League.
After suffering a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their semi-final series against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Hammers travel to Germany knowing they must win to punch their ticket to the final in Sevilla.
David Moyes and his squad have faced plenty of adversity on their way to this point, most notably in the quarter-finals when Aaron Cresswell was dismissed for a thoughtless tug on Moussa Dembele’s shirt. But the final four is a different kettle of fish.
West Ham – like Rangers, Frankfurt, and RB Leipzig – are just two matches away from a place in the Champions League, plus a shower of champagne. And that’s why the stakes are always so much higher in semi-finals: with just four teams left standing, it becomes much easier to imagine yourself hoisting the cup.
It’s a terrifyingly seductive thought, one that injects a unique kind of intensity into every aspect of the sport.
As a result, so many things need to go right to qualify for a major final – and it’s fair to question whether the Hammers are capable of overcoming their demons to advance at Frankfurt’s expense. But, as kick-off comes into view, it’s worth thinking about how West Ham’s roadmap to the final might look.
Let’s discuss what needs to go right for Moyes & Co. in the second leg.
Michail Antonio Plays with Energy:
If you’re not concerned about Michail Antonio’s recent performances, you haven’t watched him very closely. He’s played poorly since the turn of the year, scoring four goals in 25 appearances for club and country, with lethargy seeping into his game.
Despite finding the net, the 32-year-old’s influence was limited in the first leg:
28 touches (season average: 37.5 per 90)
45 percent pass completion (season: 65.9 percent)
1 shot (season average: 2.37 per 90)
3 progressive carries (season average: 4.17 per 90)
Also of note: his only shot was a fortuitous set-piece tap-in.
Moving away from stats corner, Antonio was virtually anonymous in open play and completely devoid of his trademark spark. There was a moment in the second half that summed his night up:
Alphonse Areola lifted the ball down the left flank towards Antonio, who was standing on the halfway line. Instead of meeting the ball in the air, he allowed it to bounce over his head, and into Frankfurt’s possession. Bluntly: that’s a schoolboy error and evidence of a lack of application rather than skill.
Related: Analysis of Antonio’s strengths/weaknesses for Breaking the Lines
West Ham cannot afford for Antonio to play as lackadaisically tonight. Whether he’s effective in possession or not, he needs to be a constant thorn in the side for Frankfurt’s defenders. He stepped up against Lyon and Sevilla: maybe second legs are his vibe? Let’s wait and see – but he certainly needs to find a second wind.
Hammers Make the Most of Set-Pieces:
West Ham have excelled from set-plays since the reignition of the Moyes Era, mainly because they have a height advantage over most teams they face. Antonio’s strike in leg-one came from a dead-ball scenario, featuring a magnificent delivery from Manuel Lanzini:
If the Hammers are to overturn their deficit, they must win the set-play battle at Deutsche Bank Park.
They were fragile at set-pieces against Arsenal on Sunday [1 May], conceding to Gabriel from a free-kick. Moyes can’t afford to be caught short again.
“We kept Arsenal quiet,” said Moyes on Sunday. “What we didn’t do a good job on was set pieces, which we’re normally very good at, both attacking and defending. But the team we selected was a risk because we took out a couple of bigger players who head the ball for us. That was the risk we took, and, in the end, it came back to punish us.”
With the likes of Tomas Soucek, Craig Dawson, and Antonio set to return to the starting line-up, West Ham must make the most of the size advantage from corners and free-kicks in leg two.
West Ham Stay Switched on Defensively:
You don’t need me to tell you that West Ham can’t afford to concede in the first minute again. But it’s still worth looking over the tape on Ansgar Knauff’s deadlock smasher again:
Here’s what I see:
Dawson had a window of opportunity to intercept the ball at 0:07
Dawson, anticipating that Rafael Borre would cut inside and shoot, opted not to pressurise him on his first touch at 0:08
Pablo Fornals is caught ball-watching, flat-footed, and square at 0:10, which allows Knauff to peel off his shoulder and score at the far post
In other words, West Ham – Fornals in particular – dropped the ball and allowed Frankfurt to suck the life out of the London Stadium. They can’t afford to repeat the same mistakes on the road.
Quickly, on the Opposition:
Eintracht suffered a disappointing result on Monday [2 May], losing 2-0 away at Bayer Leverkusen.
Unfortunately for Oliver Glasner’s side, the defeat ended their hopes of qualifying for continental competitions through league performance: they’re eleventh with two fixtures left to play in the Bundesliga and could finish anywhere between eighth and fourteenth.
In other words, winning the Europa League is their only shot at a place in Europe for next season.
On tonight’s game:
Jesper Lindstrom is an injury concern for Frankfurt, he hasn’t played since picking up a knock at the London Stadium last week. Martin Hinteregger, a standout performer from the first leg, is also a matchday decision for Glasner.
On the other hand, Eintracht have the benefit of Evan N’Dicka and Kristijan Jakic returning to the squad after serving their suspensions.
Also of note: Glasner rested four players (Djibril Sow, Daichi Kamada, Almamy Toure, and Borre) versus Leverkusen.
Eintracht won’t be pushovers with home crowd-advantage, though they aren’t unbeatable either.
Finally, an optimistic thought: West Ham, by their own admission, performed poorly last week. They didn’t really show up in a match that was there for them to win… and still only lost by a one-goal margin.
It won’t take a miracle for the Hammers to win tonight. But they must play to their level and take their chances. It’s last chance saloon for the boys in claret and blue: let’s see what they’re made of.