West Ham United hopes to wrap up first place in Group B of the Europa Conference League when they welcome Silkeborg to London Stadium on Thursday night with kickoff at 10 pm.
In controversial circumstances, West Ham defeated Bournemouth 2-0 at home on Monday night. VAR was involved in both goals at the London Stadium.
Kurt Zouma’s opener on the stroke of halftime allowed them to stand even though Thilo Kehrer appeared to handle the ball in the build-up.
Said Benrahma then sealed the win in second-half stoppage time from the penalty spot after Vladimir Coufal’s cross into the area hit the outstretched arm of Jordan Zemura.
While David Moyes and co have climbed up to 10th in the Premier League table, they currently sit at Group B’s summit as one of only two teams in Europa League Conference with a perfect record after four matches.
Silkeborg is competing in European competition for the first time since 2001-02, and they have made an impressive start to their Europa League campaign.
They opened with a 5-0 win against Romanian side FC Steaua Bucharest at home, with Sebastian Jorgensen, Kasper Kusk, and Anders Klynge all scoring twice.
The Danish side then repeated the feat when they traveled to Romania for their second group game, winning 5-0 again.
West Ham vs. Silkeborg Head to Head
Both sides have yet to face each other, marking their first encounter. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- West Ham 2-0 Bournemouth
- Liverpool 1-0 West Ham
- Southampton 1-1 West Ham
- West Ham 2-1 Anderlecht
Away
- Horsens 3-2 Silkeborg
- Silkeborg 3-3 Randers
- FCSB 5-0 Silkeborg
- OB 1-1 Silkeborg
West Ham Team News
The Hammers’ defenders Craig Dawson and Maxwel Cornet missed the victory over Bournemouth due to respective thigh and calf injuries and are both doubtful for Thursday’s game. Midfielder Lucas Paqueta remains out with a shoulder problem, while center-back Nayef Aguerd has returned to first-team training after sustaining an ankle injury over the summer.
Silkeborg Team News
For Thursday’s match, Silkeborg will be without midfielder Mark Brink and defender Lukas Engel, who are both injured. Midfielder Gustav Dahl (head) and forward Niclas Holm Pedersen (back) are also doubtful; they will be evaluated before kickoff.
Prediction and Odds
A match between two attack-minded teams is set to take place at the London Stadium on Thursday, with something riding on this fixture for both sides.
- Home Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- First Half: 2-0
