The route to the Conference League final as West Ham prepare to face Fiorentina
By Andy Sims, PA
West Ham face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in Prague on Wednesday night.
The Hammers are bidding to win a first major trophy since the FA Cup in 1980.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at their route to the final.
Qualifying round
The 2023 Europa Conference League final is set ✅
Who you got? 🤔#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/JItYBhj2Y3— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) May 18, 2023
West Ham’s journey to Prague began on August 18, three Prime Ministers ago, with a home meeting against Danish minnows Viborg.
New Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio scored in a 3-1 first-leg win. Scamacca was on target again, along with Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek, in the away leg to secure a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate victory.
Group stage
The Hammers were drawn with Romanian side FCSB, Belgium’s Anderlecht and Silkeborg of Denmark in Group B.
They fell behind to FCSB at home in their first match but goals from Bowen, Emerson Palmieri and Antonio earned a 3-1 win and David Moyes’ side went on to breeze into the knockout stages with six wins out of six.
Last 16
“This win is for you!” 🤝
Lanzini dedicates our victory v AEK Larnaca to the Claret & Blue Army ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/wJ39oX8NXa— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 9, 2023
The travelling fans were rewarded with a trip to sunny Cyprus and a tie against AEK Larnaca.
West Ham were struggling domestically, having just been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and thumped 4-0 at Brighton in the Premier League, but Antonio’s double settled the away leg and a brace from Bowen helped them to a 4-0 win at home, and 6-0 on aggregate, to keep the European adventure going.
Quarter-final
Next up were another Belgian outfit, Gent, and for the first time in the competition West Ham failed to register a victory, with Danny Ings on target in a 1-1 away draw.
But despite conceding an early goal, the home leg was comfortable thanks to another Antonio double, Lucas Paqueta’s penalty and a stunning solo goal from captain Declan Rice to wrap up a 4-1 win.
Semi-final
⚒️ The goal that secured West Ham's place in the #UECLfinal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rpM7IT7KnR
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) May 22, 2023
Dutch dark horses AZ Alkmaar would be no pushovers in the last four having already accounted for Lazio and Anderlecht.
West Ham fell behind at the London Stadium to Tijani Reijnders’ first-half goal but Said Benrahma’s penalty and Antonio’s scrambled effort secured a 2-1 win.
In an edgy second leg, Pablo Fornals raced through to score the only goal in stoppage time to inflict AZ’s first European defeat in 26 matches and send the Hammers through.
