West Ham made heavy weather of the opening match of their latest European adventure as they had to come from behind to beat Serbian minnows Backa Topola 3-1.
Headers from £38million summer signing Mohammed Kudus and substitute Tomas Soucek, both from James Ward-Prowse corners, got the Hammers’ Europa League campaign off to a winning start on a stormy Stratford night.
East London was hit by torrential rain before kick-off with water cascading through the roof onto the concourses at London Stadium.
The floodgates failed to open on the pitch in the first half, however, despite West Ham being in the rare position of dominating possession on the soggy surface.
The Hammers had 78 per cent possession, which was the exact opposite of their stats during the recent smash-and-grab win at Brighton.
But boss David Moyes got a taste of his own medicine when Angelo Ogbonna’s mistake gifted TSC, making their debut in the group stages of a European competition, a shock lead after half-time.
Until then it had been one-way traffic after Ward-Prowse had an early free-kick deflected inches over the crossbar.
Danny Ings, making his first start of the season, saw his swerving effort punched away by Serbian keeper Nikola Simic, who also denied Thilo Kehrer after Aaron Cresswell’s low cross found him at the far post.
Lucas Paqueta’s drive then forced another unorthodox save from Simic and when Pablo Fornals lifted the loose ball back into the box, Kudus planted his header over the top.
But for all West Ham’s dominance there was still a hairy moment when a corner from Petar Stanic was flicked on by Sasa Jovanovic and bounced right across the six-yard box.
The underdogs were enthusiastically cheered from the pitch at half-time by the 75-or-so Serbian fans who had made the 2,000km journey.
And those away supporters were in dreamland two minutes into the second half after Ogbonna dawdled on the halfway line, allowing Stanic to nick the ball, race clear and fire past Lukasz Fabianski.
But the Hammers, whose last European outing was their triumphant Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina in June, hit back in the 66th minute, albeit in fortunate fashion as Said Benrahma’s cross was turned in at the far post by TSC defender Nemanja Petrovic.
The lively Kudus did get his goal four minutes later and Soucek headed in the third from another Ward-Prowse delivery – giving the former Southampton midfielder a fifth assist of the season – to finally ease West Ham nerves.
[(Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.) Strength]: 1. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. will be at home first in this tie. They hope to extend winning record, with full motivation.2. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. beat Hapoel Jerusalem F.C. 2-1 in the last home game, making it three wins in a row.3. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. defeated Hamrun Spartans F.C. 5-2 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and advanced.4. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C....
[(Seattle Sounders FC) Strength]: 1. Seattle Sounders FC achieved 4 wins and 2 draws in the last 6 home games with good performances.2. In the previous group stage of the Leagues Cup, Seattle Sounders FC scored 11 goals in total. They are the top in Group B, with outstanding performances.3. Seattle Sounders FC conceded only 3 goals in the last 5 games with a good defense.4. Seattle Sounders FC los...
[(FC Midtjylland) Strength]: 1. In-form Dario Osorio scored and assisted in the last game. He may get more playing time in midweek's European game.2. FC Midtjylland scored at least 2 goals in all the last 4 games with a stunning offense.3. In the last UEFA Europa League qualifying round, FC Midtjylland defeated Eliteserien side Fredrikstad twice, with outstanding performances.4. FC Midtjylland bea...
[(KF Shkendija) Strength]: 1. KF Shkendija, playing at home in this game, need to go all out to gain the upper hand and are highly motivated.2. KF Shkendija won 3-1 away from home in the last league match, returning to the winning track and boosting their morale.3. KF Shkendija have performed well at home and have achieved three consecutive victories so far. They have only lost 2 of their last 20 ...
[(SC Internacional) Strength]: 1. SC Internacional lost 0-1 in the first leg and are currently 12th in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, performing poorly. They urgently need to prove themselves in the Copa Libertadores. This time playing at home, they will do their best to win and strive for advancement, so the team are motivated.[(SC Internacional) Weakness]: 1. SC Internacional goalkeeper Ivan...
[(Rosenborg) Strength]: 1. Rosenborg won two consecutive rounds in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers and advanced to the play-off stage. In the first leg against Bundesliga team 1.FSV Mainz 05, Rosenborg must capitalize on their home field advantage to secure a victory, laying a solid foundation for the second leg. So they are highly motivated.2. Rosenborg have remained unbeaten at home in the...
[(Esporte Clube Juventude) Strength]: 1. Esporte Clube Juventude are currently near the bottom of the table with 15 points, still 4 points away from the survival zone. They are in strong intention of picking up points.2. Esporte Clube Juventude won the last two consecutive games in AH with an improved trend.[(Esporte Clube Juventude) Neutral]: 1. Esporte Clube Juventude drew 2-2 away to Esporte Cl...
[(Estudiantes de La Plata) Strength]: 1. Santiago Ascacibar made 1 goal and 1 assist for the team in the last two games, being in good form.2. Estudiantes de La Plata kept unbeaten in the last 5 home games with 4 wins and 1 draw, being in great form.3. Estudiantes de La Plata have scored 12 goals since the group stage of Copa Libertadores. Their offensive performance in cup event is reliable.4. Es...
[(Fenerbahce S.K.) Strength]: 1. Fenerbahce S.K. have strengthened their squad by recruiting players during the off-season. Their goals for this season are to contend for the league title and qualify for the main tournament of the UEFA Champions League. Having eliminated the Eredivisie giants Feyenoord in the first round, the team must seize the home advantage in the first leg against SL Benfica, ...
[(Celtic F.C.) Strength]: 1. As a Scottish Premiership giant, Celtic F.C. have rich experience in European competitions and a high reputation. They have made a flying start to the season with three consecutive wins, and their morale is high. Facing the relatively weak FC Kairat Almaty, they hope to secure an easy victory with home advantage, lay the groundwork for the Play-off round, and smoothly ...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Club Necaxa VS Club Leon
- 7 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 8 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 9 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 10 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer