David Moyes has been speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League semi-final first leg at the London Stadium against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Hammers are only three games away from making history, but they must first get through two legs in Frankfurt. The German team eliminated European powers Barcelona in the last round, and with their Bundesliga season expected to end in a mid-table position, they are putting all their eggs in the Europa League basket.
He claims that most of the weekend’s players are still available, and that some of the absentees may return, but that “we don’t know if they’ll be ready yet” and that he will not push anyone back. He has over 900 games under his belt and believes that this semi-final “is up there” in terms of significance: “It’s good to be nervous. It makes you realize the level of the game, but you want the players to play with confidence. I’ll try and savor it but the games come so quick – we’ve got another one in three days!”
Moyes remarked of taking on big clubs at the London Stadium: “In the main, our home form has been pretty good. Beating Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea show that on our home patch on our day, we can be a good match for any team.” He rejects any assumption that West Ham are favorites, claiming that they haven’t given it much thought. They have a lot of parallels with West Ham. They have a high ranking in terms of running, and they have one or two players who can make a significant impact.
He added: “To beat Barcelona over two games was an incredible achievement and it shows their qualities. They’re a big name in German football with incredible support. But we’ve got a really big stadium and a fantastic crowd. It’s really special that two teams with a history are back together.” The Hammers are only three games away from making history, but they must first get through two legs in Frankfurt. The German team eliminated European powers Barcelona in the last round, and with their Bundesliga season expected to end in a mid-table position, they are putting all their eggs in the Europa League basket.
Before knocking off Real Betis in the first knockout round, Eintracht won their group ahead of Olympiacos, Fenerbache, and Royal Antwerp. They then eliminated Barcelona from the competition, drawing 1-1 in Germany after winning 3-2 at Camp Nou. In the semi-final, Moyes expects a close game against Eintracht Frankfurt but believes they are a strong match for any club.
