West Ham United head into the second leg of their Europa League semi-final with Eintracht Frankfurt tonight looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit.
The Hammers make the trip to Deutsche Bank Park sitting in seventh position in the Premier League standings, while Frankfurt are down in 11th place in the Bundesliga.
When Frankfurt got the better of Barcelona at the quarter-final stage, it was perceived that the door had been pushed open for West Ham to make the final of a European competition.
However, the German side showed at the London Stadium why it was naive to expect an easier game, the Hammers being served a reality check within the first minute of the contest.
On some level, David Moyes may be relieved that West Ham are still in the tie after conceding so early, but the Scot will be equally disappointed that he and his squad are travelling to Deutsche Bank Park with a monumental task ahead of them.
Injuries and suspensions have played their part in their poor recent form, West Ham heading into this game on the back of one win and four defeats from seven matches in all competitions.
The latest of those setbacks came at home to Arsenal on Sunday and with Manchester United having moved six points clear in the race for sixth position, West Ham are staring at Europa Conference League football unless they can turn things around on Thursday night.
Holding a lead ahead of a home second leg, there is an argument that Frankfurt find themselves under more pressure, particularly after a dismal campaign in the Bundesliga.
A six-match winless streak has resulted in Frankfurt dropping into the bottom half of the table, raising the stakes for Oliver Glasner to deliver a trophy in this competition.
The goals from Ansgar Knauff and Daichi Kamada have put the Eagles very much in the driving seat, but it has removed an underdog tag that has followed Frankfurt throughout the knockout stages.
Furthermore, Frankfurt have gone six matches without recording a home win in any competition, their only two victories in 11 outings coming at Barcelona and the home of their upcoming opponents.
Nevertheless, this is a team which has gone 11 matches unbeaten in this year’s competition, and extending that further will book their spot against Rangers or RB Leipzig in the final.
Eintracht Frankfurt Europa League form:
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Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):
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West Ham United Europa League form:
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West Ham United form (all competitions):
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We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 West Ham United (Eintracht Frankfurt to win 4-3 on aggregate)
Given the current aggregate scoreline, both teams will have to find a balance during the second leg, but this is a game between two sides who have struggled for clean sheets of late.
Expect goals aplenty on Thursday night but we feel that Frankfurt showed enough at the London Stadium to indicate that they will be difficult to beat in front of their own supporters.