*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Not counting 1999’s Intertoto Cup final win over Metz, West Ham haven’t reached a proper European final since losing 2-4 to Anderlecht in 1976. Managed by John Lyall, it was one of the great West Ham teams including the likes of Frank Lampard Snr, Patsy Holland, Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking.
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One significant coincidence about that final connecting us to this Europa League semi-final is that they had to overcome the problem of a certain German team, yes, Eintracht Frankfurt, beating them 4-3 on aggregate. This one is going to be fascinating and we can’t wait to watch it so we’ve gone through the stats and form of both sides to find a four-fold Bet Builder that’s teeming with value.
*A Bet Builder with these four bets pays at approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Thursday 8pm: West Ham v Eintracht Frankfurt
TV: BT Sport 1 and BT Sport ultimate
Both Teams to Score
The London Stadium is going to be rocking come kickoff for this one but as people looking for value we have to keep cool heads and a look at the recent results for both teams shows they’ve been as bad as each other. Over their last five respective fixtures in all competitions, both have won one, drawn two and lost two. The Hammers have won three and drawn two of their last five on home turf while the visitors have won three, drawn one and lost one on their away trips.
Goals look to be on the menu here, with these teams having scored at least two in three of their last five home/away games and share the same record over their last five home/away fixtures in the Europa League too. The hosts have scored seven over their last five at home with the visitors chalking up nine over their last five on the road. Kicking off then we have to go with a Both Teams to Score bet.
Martin Hinteregger to be Booked Anytime
Frankfurt’s serial yellow card collector, Croatian international midfielder Kristijan Jakic, has to sit the first leg out after receiving too many bookings which is a pity for us as we were certainly expecting him to add to his tally for the season. Austria’s Martin Hinteregger is the next worst offender with 10 Yellow Cards to his name for both club and country this season.
Against the counter-attacking speed of West Ham’s attack the former Augsburg and Salzburg central defender could be in for a tough night and we’re expecting him to pick up a card here and for Hinteregger to be Booked.
Another one to keep an eye out for, and he may start in the absence of Jakic, is Australia’s Ajdin Hrustic, who has two bookings in his seven Bundesliga starts for Frankfurt and has two over his three appearances in the Europa League this season.
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Over 2.5 Goals
As mentioned above, West Ham have netted eight over their last five home fixtures in all competitions with the visitors hitting the onion bag nine times over their last five. Looking at their five most recent home/away games the Hammers have scored five with Die Adler scoring seven over their five most previous matches.
It almost goes without saying how much is on the line here and there’s little doubt that the home side will be pressing for a victory as it’ll no doubt be a sterner test away from home in the return leg next week. That’s not to say we think West Ham will necessarily win, more on that below, but both sides are in robust goal-scoring form and we’re likely to see at least three or four goals here so Over 2.5 Goals has to make the list.
Eintracht Frankfurt (+1)
A controversial pick maybe but the stats bear out the fact here that Eintracht Frankfurt are simply scoring more goals than West Ham and with this +1 advantage our bet will win here if they either win the first leg or keep the scoreline level. Recent results in the competition would put Eintracht ahead too, they’ve beaten and drawn with both Barcelona and Real Betis and drawn with Fenerbahce over their last five.
The Irons have lost to Dinamo Zagreb and Sevilla, beating them in the return leg, and then drawing with and then beating Lyon. Fair to say then that the German side have had a tougher route to the semi final and with their superior goal-scoring record of late means we’re getting a very decent value price here on Frankfurt (+1) in the handicap market.
West Ham v Frankfurt Bet Builder tips
Both Teams to Score
Martin Hinteregger to be Booked Anytime
Over 2.5 Goals
Eintracht Frankfurt (+1)
*A Bet Builder with these four bets pays at approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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