West Ham United vs Olympiacos
The battle for the top spot in Group A of the 2023-24 Europa League is getting tight, as three teams have a chance to take it to directly advance to the Round of 16.
And with three matchdays left, this contest between West Ham United and Olympiacos is crucial, to say the least.
West Ham United are currently on top with six points, but they are level with second-seeded SC Freiburg. Meanwhile, Olympiacos have four points, and Backa Topola are at the bottom with one point.
Olympiacos managed to beat West Ham United in their reverse fixture, and if they can somehow pull it off once again, then they will leapfrog them as a top or second seed.
Check out today’s SBOTOP preview by reading more below.
Talking Points
West Ham United’s defence has been suspect
West Ham United head into this game with low confidence because they haven’t won five out of their last six matches across all competitions.
Their poor form has seen them drop to 12th in the Premier League standings, and much of their struggles can be attributed to the defencive end, where they have conceded 10 league goals in the past month alone.
The absence of Kurt Zouma has affected David Moyes’ boys, and given his injury history, there’s cause for concern for another long-term layoff. With the Frenchman out, Konstantinos Mavropanos has started alongside Nayef Aguerd in the Hammers’ centre-half.
But on the other side of the pitch, West Ham United have been superb, with Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, and James Ward-Prowse finding form.
Bowen is the team’s leading scorer with eight goals, and he recently made history by becoming the first player in Premier League history to score in his team’s first six away games of a season.
Kudus, meanwhile, is looking like a shrewd signing for West Ham United as he continues to improve week after week, and he now has five goals.
Ward-Prowse is easily the Hammers’ top creative outlet with six assists, including three in the Europa League, and he is still a deadly free-kick taker. He will play a crucial role in midfield, which also features Lucas Paqueta, Tomas Soucek, and Edson Alvarez.
Olympiacos have a deadly duo
Facing teams that are more talented than them is no longer new to Olympiacos, and they have the players who are capable of delivering big-time performances when needed.
Daniel Podence has already faced the Hammers countless times in England with the Wolves, and he has been a solid addition to Olympiacos’ roster. The Portuguese winger is one of their top scorers, with five goals already in six appearances.
Another standout that West Ham United’s inconsistent defence will have to take into account is Ayoub El Kaabi, who is in the running for the Europa League Golden Boot race. The 30-year-old forward has two goals in this tournament and five overall so far this season.
History
Thursday marks the first time the Hammers have hosted Olympiacos in a European game since November 1965, when they won 4-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Olympiacos won 2-1 in their reverse fixture two weeks ago against West Ham United, as Kostas Fortounis and Rodinei gave them a 2-0 lead before halftime, while Lucas Paqueta scored a consolation goal for the Hammers.
That result snapped West Ham United’s impressive 17-game undefeated streak in all European competition (including qualifiers). The Hammers last suffered consecutive defeats in the Europa League semi-finals against Eintracht Frankfurt during the 2021-22 campaign.
It also meant that Olympiacos ended their 11-game winless run in the Europa League (D3, L8), and they’re looking to win consecutive games in the competition since their three-game winning streak between March and September 2021.
Betting Tip
Just like in the reverse fixture, the Europa League 2023 odds favour West Ham United to win on Thursday, which might be taken with a grain of salt because of what happened before.
The hosts are priced at 1.62 to claim maximum points, while Olympiacos are at 3.95 odds, and a draw is at 4.00 in the 1X2 market.
Choosing the winner of this contest is a tough call, but we’re guaranteed to see several Europa League 2023 highlights at the London Stadium, hence our recommended bet above.
On the other hand, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Olympiacos offers a substantial payout of 16.00, while the same exact result in favour of West Ham United has an offer of 10.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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