West Ham United will be squaring off in a fierce Europa League clash against Spanish side Sevilla on Thursday, March 10, with both sides looking to obtain the upper hand in the first of the two-legged clash. We're going to dish out some bold predictions for the matchup between the two formidable squads.
West Ham enters the matchup having won just one game in its last five matches. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of Liverpool, in a 1-0 Premier League loss. The club sits in sixth place in the Premier League, with 45 points through its first 28 matches, including 13 wins. The squad will be relying on key players such as Declan Rice, Michail Antonio, and Jarrod Bowen in order to thwart Sevilla on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Sevilla has been in better form than their opposition. The Spanish club has won two of their last five, drawing two games as well in that span. They lost their previous Europa League tie against Dinamo Zagreb but still advanced due to their lead in aggregate scoring. Most recently, Sevilla tied in a scoreless game against Alavés, so they'll look to be more effective and get some names on the scoresheet against West Ham. Look for the likes of Anthony Martial, Ivan Rakitic, and Jesus Corona to be impactful for Sevilla.
With all that in mind, here are three bold predictions for West Ham in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 battle against Sevilla.
3 Bold Predictions for West Ham in Europa League vs Sevilla
3. Declan Rice locks down the midfield and assists a goal
Declan Rice isn't much of a goalscorer. In fact, most of what the defensive-minded midfielder contributes doesn't show up on stat sheets. That said, Rice is far and away the most impactful player in West Ham's lineup, and he'll play a crucial role once again on Thursday. The English superstar should be able to shut down the likes of Rakitic and Joan Jordan, making it difficult for Sevilla to work the ball up the pitch.
In addition to his tireless defensive efforts, we're predicting Rice to have an impact on offense, setting up a goal for the likes of Bowen or Antonio. Rice is an underrated passer who is capable of setting his teammates up given the opportunity, and he could look to turn one of his midfield takeaways into a counter-attack with a well-placed through ball for his speedy teammates.
2. Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen each score a goal
West Ham's top two scorers this season have been Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, both of whom figure to be in the Starting XI against Sevilla. If West Ham is capable of winning the midfield battle, these two players should be rewarded with plenty of scoring opportunities in the attacking third. If they're both on their game, it's not difficult to imagine the pair of them finding the back of the net.
Sevilla boasts a strong defense, but if West Ham can take care of business in the middle of the pitch, they could wind up with a barrage of chances for their attacking tandem, both of whom will look to finish the job in front of goal.
1. West Ham keep a clean sheet
This has all the makings of a low-scoring game. Sevilla's defense is formidable, and they rarely give up multiple goals in a game. Their offense, however, is less potent, and they often find themselves struggling to convert scoring chances. That could very well be the case again on Thursday, as West Ham's defensive line will look to shut down Sevilla, who are spearheaded up front by newcomers in Corona and Martial.
With Lukasz Fabianski enjoying a strong season, Sevilla's struggles in front of goal could well leak into Thursday's game, and West Ham may walk away from Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium with an advantage ahead of the second leg, which is set to take place in London.
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