The Black and Reds secured a comprehensive 2-0 win in the first leg of their quarter-final tie versus the Londoners last week thanks to Jonas Hofmann's 83rd-minute opener and Victor Boniface's effort one minute into the injury time.
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Newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will be bidding to seal their place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League when they make the trip to London to take on West Ham United on Thursday. The Black and Reds secured a comprehensive 2-0 win in the first leg of their quarter-final tie versus the Londoners last week. The Hammers goalkeeper Lucas Fabianski had a busy night at Bay Arena making nine saves before the home side broke the deadlock through Jonas Hofmann’s 83rd-minute effort and Victor Boniface found the mark one minute into the injury time. It was a dominant performance from the German side as they recorded 33 shots compared to just a solitary effort by the David Moyes’ men.
🚨 MATCHDAY! 🚨
One more step to the semis! 👊🏆
🆚 @WestHam
⏰ 9:00pm (CEST)
🏟️ London Stadium #WHUB04 | #Bayer04 #Werkself #UEL #aCROSSeurope pic.twitter.com/X1JixBLEYR— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 18, 2024
West Ham are heading into the match on the back of yet another 2-0 defeat, this time to Fulham in the Premier League. Andreas Pereira’s brace handed the Hammers their 11th Premier League defeat of the season. With just one win coming from their last six games in all competitions, Moyes’s men are going through bit of a tough phase. Moreover, the Hammers have just two wins to show from ten home contests in 2014. Therefore, the London Stadium faithful are unlikely to be holding out hope of a second-leg turnaround against arguably the most impressive club in Europe this season, Bayer Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso is the most sought-after manager in Europe right now. The 42-year-old tactician has done remarkable things with Bayer Leverkusen, from recording a 43-match unbeaten run in all competitions to ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominant streak in the Bundesliga. The Black and Reds thrashed Werder Bremen 5-0 on Sunday to secure their first top flight title. Florian Wirtz’s hat-trick and one effort each from Victor Boniface and Granit Xhaka helped the Company’s Eleven to move 16 points clear of the chasing pack, with five games remaining in the league. Moreover, Alonso’s side have now won each of their last eight games in all competitions.
West Ham United probable starting lineup: Fabianski, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Coufal, Alvarez, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Johnson, Kudus, Antonio
Bayer Leverkusen probable starting lineup: Hradecky, Kossounou, Tah, Stanisic, Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo, Wirtz, Adli, Boniface
West Ham United
| Opponents | Score |
| Fulham | 0-2 (L) |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2-0 (L) |
| Wolves | 1-2 (W) |
| Tottenham | 1-1 (D) |
| Newcastle | 4-3 (L) |
Bayer Leverkusen
| Opponents | Score |
| Werder Bremen | 5-0 (W) |
| West Ham | 2-0 (W) |
| Union Berlin | 0-1 (W) |
| Dusseldorf | 4-0 (W) |
| Hoffenheim | 2-1 (W) |
| Last 2 match-results | Score |
| Bayer Leverkusen beat West Ham | 2-0 |
| Bayer Leverkusen beat West Ham | 4-0 |
The Europa League fixture between West Ham and Bayer Leverkusen will take place at London Stadium Friday at 12:30 am IST.
| West Ham vs Beyer Leverkusen | Key Details |
| Date | April 18 (UK) |
| Venue | London Stadium |
| Kickoff time in UK | 8:00 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in Germany | 9:00 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 12:30 am (Friday) |
The live telecast of the Europa League matches in India will be available on Sony Sports network. Besides, football fans in India can also live stream the game through Sony LIV. Meanwhile, those in UK can watch the match on discovery + and TNT Sport network. Football fans in Germany can watch the live action via RTL network.
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