West Ham enjoyed a European adventure which saw them win last season’s Europa Conference League and they have made inroads in the Europa League which has taken them to the last eight stage of the competition. There was plenty to like about the way in which they recovered from a 1-0 deficit to claim a 5-0 win at the London Stadium.
That came against Freiburg and they will now face an even better German team in the form of Bayer Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso’s side have been racing away with the domestic title this term and they actually boast an unbeaten record domestically. It will take a mighty West Ham performance to overcome them, especially over two legs.
David Moyes will position his team as underdogs although there is plenty of ability within the ranks and this includes Jarrod Bowen who is part of the England set-up, with James Ward-Prowse also a player that can cause some damage when it comes to his prowess from set pieces.
However, it’s a tall order to beat a Leverkusen team who are likely to be a popular bet to claim a first leg victory and they have been able to topple all manner of opponents in front of their own fans. We can expect an entertaining encounter although a Bayer Leverkusen win to nil does make appeal.