West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Europa League Semifinal 1st Leg): A home win for the Hammers?

West Ham have made it to the semi-final of the Europa League against all the odds as the English Premier League side bid to become champions of UEFA's second competition.

With Manchester City and Liverpool in the semi-final of the Champions League, it could become a successful season for English soccer.

If Premier League teams win both the Champions League and Europa League, it would go down in history as a memorable campaign and will also provide a major confidence boost to fans ahead of World Cup 2022, which will be played in Qatar between November and December.

England are one of the early favourites to lift the trophy and having two European club champions would ensure the nation head to the Arab World with confidence sky-high.

To stand any chance of an English soccer double this spring, West Ham must do their bit against Eintracht Frankfurt in this Europa League semi-final. The first leg will be played in Stratford, East London, at the home of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt UEFA Europa League Semifinal 1st Leg Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: West Ham (7th in the English Premier League) vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (9th in the German Bundesliga)
• Venue & Location: London Stadium (London, England)
• Date: Thursday, April 28, 2022
• Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. London time)
• How to Watch West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the U.S.: Paramount+

West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Betting Odds

Listed match odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook. This article may also feature odds from our other top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks.

Moneyline

• West Ham to win: -110
• Draw: +250
• Eintracht Frankfurt to win: +320

Over/Under

• OVER 2.5 Goals (-102)
• UNDER 2.5 Goals (-120)

The venue will be packed to capacity by followers of the Hammers who know they could be witnessing one of the greatest campaigns in their club's history. They have achieved so much already this season in both the Premier League and Europa League.

Still, manager David Moyes will be keen to ensure his players keep their feet on the ground and aware that there there's still plenty of work to be done to realise their potential.

Honors even in previous meetings between West Ham and Frankfurt

When trawling through the history books in preparation for this match, we found that West Ham and German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt have met twice before in competitive action. Those matches were played in 1976 in the European Cup Winners Cup, and it was the Londoners who were victorious.

The first leg was staged in Germany on that occasion, and Frankfurt made their home advantage count to grab a hard-fought 2-1 win. That put them in the driving seat, but West Ham aren't a team known for rolling over and accepting defeat.

The Londoners rolled up their sleeves and fought back, winning the second leg at Upton Park 3-1, winning 4-3 on aggregate. Will this renewal almost five decades later follow a similar script, or can the Germans prove good things come to those who wait and snatch their revenge?

Our team of soccer writers and sports betting experts aim to find out in this preview. Read on as we take you through the vital facts and figures relating to this match.

West Ham hold home advantage

West Ham head into this match with home advantage and will be looking to make it count. The Londoners know that their best chance of making it through to the final comes from winning in London. This is a two-legged fixture, but the locals understand heading to Germany needing to win would be an uphill challenge, to say the least, and would make the match a lottery.

The Premier League club don't want to take any chances. They plan to kill this tie off as quickly as possible, winning in London and putting one foot in the final. That's easier said than done, of course, but they have the quality in their squad to achieve a strong first-leg lead, one they will then plan to defend in Germany during the second leg.

West Ham were dropped into Group H, and they finished in pole position ahead of Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Vienna and bottom club KRC Genk. The Hammers finished the pool with stats of four wins, one draw and a single defeat, scoring 11 goals and conceding just three. The 13 points gained left them three ahead of runners up Zagreb, but the job was done by then.

The final group standings didn't reflect West Ham's dominance, and they had wrapped things up well in advance of the last game, which they lost, having already downed tools knowing that they would be playing knockout football. They were expected to come through the pool, but few pundits predicted they would do it as emphatically.

Since moving into the later stages of the Europa League, we have seen West Ham defeat Spanish La Liga side Sevilla in the Round of 16 thanks to a 2-1 aggregate score. Still, they needed extra time to get the desired result, eliminating one of the competition's favourites.

With confidence flowing through the ranks, the English side then toppled French Ligue 1 cracks Lyon in the quarter-finals. That match ended 4-1 on aggregate, with West Ham stunning their opponents with a jaw-dropping 3-0 second-leg win in France. The goals that day were scored by Dawson, Rice and Bowen, with all three strikes coming in the opening 48 minutes of the match.

Frankfurt topped Group D

Eintracht Frankfurt have been flying the flag for the Bundesliga in this competition since the group stages, and they have been performing admirably from the start. They may not have been fancied by too many respected pundits to win the trophy back when the draw was made and the tournament was at full strength, but they are into the final four on merit.

It would rate as no shock to see Frankfurt in the final or winning the title. They are talented, ambitious players who are willing to work hard for each other and put their bodies on the line for the cause.

Frankfurt finished top of Group D ahead of runners up Olympiakos, third place Fenerbahce and bottom club Royal Antwerp. The Germans posted stats of three wins and three draws, making them one of only a few sides who went through the group stage unbeaten.

A dozen points collected for their efforts meant they crossed the line and advanced to knockout football without fuss, finishing three points above the Greeks despite lowering their guard to end with a pair of draws in their last two matches. It was a strong showing from the team, but it was just the start.

Moving to the Round of 16, Frankfurt drew La Liga side Real Betis in March, and they came through that challenge with a 3-2 aggregate score but were pushed hard every step of the way by their opponents from Spain. That match went into extra time before Frankfurt finally found the goal that pushed them through.

Hammers will nail it

West Ham have the home advantage and will be cheered on by a capacity crowd. That will make the difference, and we're backing the Premier League side to win the match.

West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Tip – West Ham win @ -106 (Bovada Sportsbook)