West Ham United are looking to overcome a Europa League semi-final first-leg deficit as they take on Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Thursday.
The Hammers were beaten 2-1 at the London Stadium last week, with a sell-out crowd of around 48,000 expected for the second leg at Deutsche Bank Park.
Manager David Moyes had a full squad out on the training pitch on Wednesday with only centre-back Angelo Ogbonna, who has been out since November, not available.
West Ham currently sit seventh in the Premier League and were beaten 2-1 at home to Arsenal on Sunday – when key striker Michail Antonio was rested by Moyes – and know their only hope of qualifying for the Champions League is to win the Europa League.
“It will be a special game, it's going to be an unbelievable atmosphere,” said Hammers defender Vladimir Coufal. “We need to be ready for everything. We need to be careful of their counter-attacks and set pieces.
“They have big quality in their crosses, so it will be a similar game to the one at London Stadium, but we know we need to win by more than one goal.”
Frankfurt, who knocked Barcelona out in the Europa League quarter-finals, are down in 11th place in the Bundesliga and were beaten 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend. The Germans can only qualify for European competition next season by winning the Europa League.
West Ham 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 2: player ratings
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WEST HAM RATINGS: Alphonse Areola 7 – Can’t be blamed for either of Eintracht’s goals. Made a sublime save to deny Sow before Daichi Kamada swept home the away side’s second. AP -
Ben Johnson 5 – Endured a tricky evening on the right side up against the menacing duo of Kostic and Kamada. The full-back was also caught ball watching for Eintracht’s second goal. AFP -
Craig Dawson 6 – West Ham’s best defender on the night. His most vital contribution came late on, when the 31-year-old turned Kamada’s goal-bound strike on to the post. His distribution did let him down at times, however. Reuters -
Kurt Zouma 5 – Grabbed an assist for West Ham’s goal, after heading the ball into the path of the onrushing Michail Antonio. Looked slightly off the pace defensively following a spell on the sidelines. Reuters -
Aaron Cresswell 6 – Failed to track the run of Ansgar Knaff for Eintracht’s first minute opener. He recovered well in the second half, getting forward and firing some dangerous crosses into the Eintracht box. Reuters -
Tomas Soucek 6 – A quiet game from the powerful midfielder. Won a handful of aerial battles, but the Czech international wasn’t able to get on the ball as much as he would have liked. Headed an effort at goal over the bar from a late corner kick. Reuters -
Declan Rice 8 – The Hammers captain was a calming influence in midfield after the side conceded an early goal. He was West Ham’s best player by some distance, tracking back diligently to prevent the home side from conceding a third. EPA -
Manuel Lanzini 7 – Whipped in the freekick which ultimately led to Antonio’s goal. Disappointingly, the Argentine’s influence on the game began to wane thereafter. EPA -
Pablo Fornals 6 – A mixed evening for the playmaker, whose end product was strangely wayward at times. Nevertheless, he worked hard for the cause, tracking back when required. Reuters -
Jarrod Bowen 6 – Will feel bitterly disappointed to have not scored, after striking the woodwork twice. The second instance came after a majestic overhead kick, which hit the underside of the bar and was eventually cleared. Reuters -
Michail Antonio 7 – Looked back to his old self, holding the ball up brilliantly, while also managing to bring teammates into play. The powerful forward scored the home side’s only goal from close range. AP -
SUB: Said Benrahma 7 – The forward added some much-needed directness to West Ham’s play in the second half. Arguably should have done better with his only shot at goal, which was high and wide. AP -
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT RATINGS: Kevin Trapp 7 – The German international made an excellent stop in the first half, managing to turn Bowen’s shot on to the post when the forward was clean through on goal. A near faultless display. EPA -
Tuta 7 – The centre-back was instrumental in shutting down the left channel for West Ham in the early stages of the game. He remained solid throughout. PA -
Martin Hinteregger 8 – Led the Eintracht backline with distinction as the Hammers piled on the pressure in the second half. Impressive in all facets of the game, with his distribution out from the back providing to be especially important. AP -
Almamy Toure 7 – Stayed positionally disciplined, especially late on up against the elusive Benrahma. Stick to his tasks well overall. EPA -
Ansgar Knauff 8 – Scorer of the opening goal after making a clever run in behind the West Ham defence. Terrorised Cresswell at times, frequently getting into dangerous attacking positions when on the counter. EPA -
Djibril Sow 7 – Went quiet for large periods of the game, but the Swiss midfielder was the chief architect of Eintracht’s impressive second goal. He did, however, pick up a yellow card with 10 minutes to go. Getty -
MF: Sebastian Rode 7 – The former Bayern Munich man performed his defensive midfield duties admirably. He shielded Eintracht’s backline and sprung a handful of counter-attacks after winning back possession. EPA -
Filip Kostic 6 – Not quite as lively as he was in the Nou Camp, but the Wing-back still put in a mighty shift for the German outfit. Motored up and down the left channel all game, providing a constant outlet for Eintracht to relive pressure. AFP -
Jesper Lindstrom 6 – Had to be replaced on the hour mark after picking up what looked like a hamstring injury. Bright in patches but largely failed to spark into life. EPA -
Daichi Kamada 8 – Looked very threatening in the final third, as was evidenced by the palpable nervousness of the home fans whenever the Japanese international ventured forward. Rounded off his classy display with a richly deserved goal. AP -
Rafael Santos Borre Maury 7 – Provided the assist for Eintracht’s opener, which was a teasing cross that perfectly picked out Knaff at the back post. Proved to be a real handful for the West Ham defenders. EPA -
SUB: Jens Petter Hauge 6 – Slightly loose in possession, giving the ball away cheaply in the final third. Ragnar Ache N/A – The Dutchman replaced Borre Maury in injury time. Getty
