The background
The Hammers head to the principality of Andorra for the second leg of their UEFA Europa League first qualifying round tie against FC Lusitans on Thursday.
Holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg, the Hammers are odds-on favourites to progress to a second round match-up against either Birkirkara of Malta, or Armenia’s Ulisses.
A Diafra Sakho double in front of nearly 35,000 fans at the Boleyn Ground put the Hammers in command before half-time last week. James Tomkins’ second half header added a third and gave West Ham the perfect start to the 2015/16 campaign.
For Lusitans to give themselves a chance, they will have to achieve something they have never managed in their history – a victory in European competition.
Nine previous matches in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League have yielded eight defeats and a draw. West Ham will be going all out to extend that winless run to a tenth game.
The history
West Ham’s trip to the Pyrenees gives an Andorran club side a first ever opportunity to host a counterpart from England. West Ham last faced a competitive away game in Europe nearly nine years ago, when Palermo secured a 3-0 victory and sealed their progress in the UEFA Cup.
This is West Ham’s seventh foray into European competition, with their victory in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964 ranking as one of the Club’s most significant achievements.
The Hammers also reached the final on the same competition in 1976, while this campaign is their third in the UEFA Europa League, or UEFA Cup as it was previously known.
Lusitans’ continental pedigree is restricted to more recent years, They have been knocked out in the first qualifying round of all of their four campaigns to date across the Europa and Champions Leagues.
The match
Team news
West Ham United
The Hammers’ squad will again contain a mixture of senior and younger players, with a group of first teamers still on a training camp in Ireland.
Diafra Sakho notched twice in the first leg and will be keen to add to his tally on Thursday. Should he play, Joey O’Brien will make his 100th appearance for the Club.
Youngsters Josh Cullen, Reece Burke, Reece Oxford, Elliot Lee and Djair Parfitt-Williams will all hope for another opportunity after featuring last week.
FC Lusitans
Experienced duo Oscar Sonejee and Edu Moya will both be looking for starts after coming off the bench last week.
Sonejee is Andorra’s most capped player, having turned out for his country 101 times, while Moya played in the Spanish top flight for Recreativo de Huelva eight years ago.
Match facts
- Thursday’s match officials hail from Denmark, with 34-year-old Anders Poulsen taking the whistle. As well as refereeing at the top level in his native country, Poulsen also has previous experience in the UEFA Europa League. He will be assisted by Henrik Larsen and Christian Brixen, while Peter Kjaersgaard-Andersen will be the fourth official.
- Should he be selected, Joey O’Brien will make his 100th appearance for West Ham United on Thursday.
- Diafra Sakho is already the Club’s joint-12th highest scorer in European competition following his brace last week. Another goal on Thursday would propel him to joint-sixth in the list.
- Lusitans have never won a game in European competition. Their previous four home matches have brought them one win and three defeats, with two goals scored and ten conceded.
- Birkirkara, of Malta, or Ulisses from Armenia await in round two. The pair drew 0-0 in the first leg.
Betting
The Club’s principal partners Betway are again offering a huge range of markets on the game. Check out their betting preview here.Tickets, travel, weather and coverage
- The game will be played at the Estadi Comunal d’Andorra la Vella. Our travel advice, including directions and other vital information can be found here.
- West Ham United’s allocation of 450 tickets for this fixture have all SOLD OUT.
- The weather is set fair in Andorra la Vella for Thursday, with sun expected all day and temperatures predicted to reach a high of 23C (73F).
- Live text updates will be provided by whufc.com and our social media channels throughout the game.
- Please note that alcohol will not be sold inside the stadium in accordance with UEFA regulations.