Europa Conference League: West Ham vs AEK Larnaca predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
- Seb Sternik
- 15 March 2023
West Ham will be looking to bag a second European quarter-final in as many years when they host AEK Larnaca in the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Europa Conference League, round-of-16, Thursday, March 16, Kick-off 8pm, live on BT Sport
Predicted score
West Ham 1-0 AEK Larnaca
Suggested bets
West Ham to win to nil
Gianluca Scamacca to score anytime
Correct score - West Ham 1-0 AEK Larnaca
Key stats
West Ham have won all nine of their games in the Europa Conference League
In those nine games, West Ham have conceded five goals and scored 21
West Ham have won two of their last eight games across all competitions
West Ham have lost seven of their 35 home games in European football
AEK Larnaca have won just one of their last six games across all competitions
Previous meeting
ECL: AEK Larnaca 0-2 West Ham, March 2023
Team news
Thursday's Europa Conference League clash may come a little too early for Michail Antonio who has been nursing a calf injury.
The 32-year-old scored a brace against AEK Larnaca in the first leg and his absence will certainly come as good news for the Cypriot outfit.
Lukasz Fabianski will remain on the sidelines with Vladimir Coufal, while Flynn Downes will miss the fixture through suspension.
AEK, on the other hand, will be without the injured pair of Antreas Paraskevas and Bruno Gama.
Recent form
The mantra of European football is for the continent's elite clubs to go head-to-head. When it comes to the Europa Conference League, that is certainly not the case.
Between them, West Ham and AEK Larnaca have won three of their last 14 games across all competitions.
Since the start of February, the only victories the Irons have managed to pick up have come over Nottingham Forest and AEK in the first leg of this round-of-16 tie.
Apart from that, David Moyes' men have endured three defeats and three draws - including a 1-1 result at home against Aston Villa last weekend.
AEK Larnaca have been similarly inconstant in recent weeks. Jose Luis Oltra's men have lost three of their last four games and have failed to score in over 180 minutes of football.
What has been said?
West Ham boss David Moyes underlined his European ambitions before the start of this round-of-16 tie.
Speaking during his press conference, the Scot said: "I'd love to win the competition.
"We wanted desperately to win the Europa League last season, but we couldn't quite get past the semi-final.
"It's great to be at this stage of the competition. To have European football at quarter-final level for the last two years would be huge for us. I want to go as far as we can, and win it if possible."
For AEK Larnaca, trying to topple Premier League opposition comes as a major challenge.
When looking back at the first leg, manager Jose Luis Oltra said: "We pressed high, we competed, we won corners. After two mistakes in defence, we conceded the goals.
"(West Ham) have very good players. They don't need to play very well or create many chances to score."
Verdict
With West Ham teetering on the edge of Premier League relegation, manager David Moyes could certainly do with a good European run to take some of the pressure off.
Reaching the Europa Conference League quarter-final shouldn't be a problem considering the Irons boast a 2-0 aggregate lead and play the second-leg at home.
Throughout their history in European competitions, West Ham have lost just seven of 35 home games.
What's more, the Hammers have been unstoppable in the ECL this season, winning all nine games - most of them in comfortable fashion.
Considering the Premier League outfit already has one foot in the last-eight, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Moyes opts to make a number of changes.
That is potentially good news for Gianluca Scamacca who has failed to get much game time since his £30m move from Sassuolo.
If the Italian starts, we're backing him to get on the scoresheet as he looks to prove his worth.
Though whether he features or not, West Ham should get the win and seal their place in the next round.
With changes expected, a 1-0 win is the way to go in the correct score market. Alternatively, West Ham to win to nil is another option in the betting market.
