Europa League: West Ham Face the Europa Kings

Sevilla vs West Ham United

Premier League high flyers West Ham are in Spain on Thursday night for a Europa League Round of 16 first leg clash with La Liga big hitters Sevilla.

It’s the tie of the round and one which both ambitious clubs will believe they can win as they share an ambition to win the 2022 title. For West Ham that would mean Champions League football while for Sevilla it would notch up a magnificent seventh Europa title this century. 

The Hammers come into the game on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool while Sevilla were held to a 0-0 draw away to Deportivo Alaves, and the hosts are favourites to progress to the quarter finals at SBOTOP odds of 1.74 while West Ham are priced at 2.19 to overcome the Europa League specialists.    

Talking Points

Seville’s Home Fortress 

As we move towards the business end of the competition the Europa League 2022 betting odds have placed Sevilla as third favourites, at a price of 6.50, with only Barcelona and Red Bull Leipzig higher in the rankings. And they face another fancied side in West Ham, with home advantage in the first leg. Los Sevillista’s have lost only one game at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium all season, a 0-2 reversal to French Champions Lille which left them unable to make the top two of their group, and so Sevilla dropped into the Europa League, also finishing behind Red Bull Salzburg, but ahead of Wolfsburg.     

Sevilla were fully expected to beat Alaves in the Basque at the weekend but they passed up the chance and were held to a draw, a result which left Julen Lopetegui’s team eight points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid and seven above third and fourth placed Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. After three games on the road Sevilla will be pleased to be back home where they have won their last two games, against Dynamo Zagreb and Elche, scoring five goals in the process.  

West Ham will know all about Sevilla’s French striker Anthony Martial, having faced him often during his time at Manchester United and, with Argentine striker Lucas Ocampos and Croatian winger Ivan Rakitic alongside, Sevilla have a highly skilled front three. 

Bowen doubt for Hammers

David Moyes has led the Hammers to another strong season in the Premier League, currently sixth in the table and with a European place in sight for the second consecutive campaign. But the very latest Europa League 2022 news has the West Ham fans worrying. Attacking midfielder Jarrod Bowen has been a key part of West Ham’s success at home and in Europe, but he looks in doubt for the first leg with Sevilla after he took a knock on his Achilles in the loss to Liverpool. His clash with the Reds’ wingback Andrew Robertson looked harmless enough and while a scan has confirmed he suffered no significant damage this is not the sort of injury Moyes would take a risk with.

His direct running and goal scoring makes Bowen, alongside defensive midfielder Declan Rice and striker Michail Antonio, one of West Ham’s most valuable assets and Moyes will want him fit for the run-in. Bowen will be missed though, as his team is hoping to end a three game winless run away from home. Immediately before the loss to Liverpool the Hammers were dumped out of the FA Cup by Southampton to make it back to back losses and that doesn’t bode well for a trip to Seville.         

History

Sevilla are the undoubted rulers of Europe’s second tournament, winning the Europa League six times in the 21^st century, including three consecutive triumphs between 2014 and 2016; and they won the 2020 tournament in a breathtaking final when a Romelu Lukaku goal gave them a 3-2 victory over Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan.

West Ham have had some European success too, though not so often and not so recently, winning the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965.

This is the first meeting between these two teams but, in terms of recent form, there is little to choose as Sevilla have won two drawn three and lost one of the last six games, while the Hammers have won two, drawn two and lost two over that time. 

Sevilla are unbeaten in ten games at home and have won their last three at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. 

Betting Tip

With home advantage a big factor Sevilla are favourites to win Thursday’s clash, with the draw at 3.10 and the visitors out at 3.55.

The Hammers will hope for a draw and an away goal, but I suspect they will be playing catch-up when they return to the London Stadium.

 

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