Seeking to conclude the Europa Conference League group stage with a perfect record, West Ham United travel to Romania to face FCSB on Thursday night.
While the visitors have already qualified for the knockout rounds as Group B winners, the hosts are still searching for their first win and have been eliminated from the competition with a game to spare.
Match preview
FCSB are one of only six teams who are yet to win in this season's Europa Conference League group stage, after drawing two and losing three of their first five matches.
Indeed, both draws have been played out against Anderlecht, with a goalless stalemate on home soil in September followed by a 2-2 draw in Belgium last week. Andrea Compagno and Joyskim Dawa were both on the scoresheet in the second half, with the latter netting an 82nd-minute equaliser.
Nicolae Dica's side followed up their midweek draw with a 2-1 away defeat against Universitatea Cluj in the Romanian Liga I on Monday, a result which ended their four-game unbeaten run in all competitions and has seen them slip 17 points behind the summit.
FCSB will be keen to turn their fortunes around on Thursday and end their Group B campaign on a high, but they will need to shore up their backline if they are to have any hope of claiming at least a point against West Ham.
The Red and Blues have conceded more goals (15) than any other team in the group stage so far this season, including 10 across two 5-0 defeats against Silkeborg. Their most recent home drubbing against Silkeborg was their heaviest ever home defeat in European competition.
Following Villarreal's draw with Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Group C last week, West Ham are the only side in the Europa Conference League with a 100% record after five group matches.
The Hammers maintained their perfect record and secured top spot in Group B with a slender 1-0 win against Silkeborg at the London Stadium last week, courtesy of a Manuel Lanzini penalty kick in the first half.
David Moyes's men have seemingly put aside their Europa League semi-final heartache of last season and will head into the last 16 of the Europa Conference League in the New Year as one of the favourites to go all the way.
West Ham go into Thursday's dead rubber clash against FCSB off the back of a narrow 1-0 Premier League defeat away at Manchester United last weekend. Moyes will have been pleased with his side's response to going a goal down via a Marcus Rashford header, but their second-half efforts were ultimately in vain.
The Hammers, who are preparing for their first European visit to Romania since 2016, will be confident of success on Thursday, as they are unbeaten in each of their last five away games in European competition and beat FCSB 3-1 at the London Stadium earlier this season.
- L
- W
- D
- W
- D
- L
Team News
FCSB are still without Lucian Cristea, Ionut Pantiru and Ovidiu Popescu as they all continue to recover from knee injuries.
Risto Radunovic is set to replace Alexandru Pantea at left-back, joining Dawa, Joonas Tamm and Valentin Cretu in the back four.
Andrei Cordea, who scored the opening goal in the 3-1 defeat at West Ham in September, is expected to start on the right side of a front three alongside Compagno and Florinel Coman.
As for West Ham, club-record signing Lucas Paqueta remains out with a shoulder injury, while Maxwel Cornet has suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf problem and is set to miss out on Thursday.
Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski came off at half time in the defeat at Man United after landing awkwardly and jarring his knee when rushing off his line to make a headed clearance. The Polish stopper has emerged as a doubt for the clash with FCSB and Sunday's fixture against Crystal Palace, with Alphonse Areola expected to take his place between the sticks.
West Ham have been boosted by the return of summer signing Nayef Aguerd, who made his competitive debut for the club against Silkeborg last week. The Moroccan centre-back was not involved against Man United but he could feature on Thursday as he continues to build up his match fitness following several months out with a knee injury.
With the Hammers already through to the knockout rounds, Moyes is expected to make several changes to his starting lineup, with academy graduate Conor Coventry pushing to start his second successive game in the competition.
FCSB possible starting lineup:
Tarnovanu; Cretu, Dawa, Tamm, Radunovic; Oaida, Edjouma, Olaru; Cordea, Compagno, Coman
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Areola; Johnson, Aguerd, Ogbonna; Coufal, Fornals, Coventry, Lanzini, Palmieri; Benrahma, Antonio
We say: FCSB 0-2 West Ham United
West Ham will be regarded as firm favourites to win on Thursday even if Moyes decides to rotate his side, and they will be motivated by the prospect of completing Group B with a perfect record.
FCSB have lost each of their last five meetings against English opposition and the Romanian outfit are set to face a stern test against one of the competition's strongest sides.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
