West Ham will put their Premier League relegation dogfight to one side on Thursday as they look to preserve their perfect European record against Gent in the Europa Conference League.
Gent vs West Ham: Thursday, 17:45
Key stats
- West Ham have a 100% win record in the Europa Conference League this season.
- West Ham have lost just one of their last six games.
- Gent have lost just three home games this season.
- Gent have scored 19 goals in their last five games.
Gent vs West Ham – Verdict
While West Ham have struggled to find their groove in the Premier League this season, the same cannot be said about their fortunes in Europe.
David Moyes and his men boast a perfect record in the Europa Conference League this season, winning all 10 games including the two qualification matches.
The Irons are perilously close to the drop zone in the Premier League, but on Thursday they will be able to forget about their domestic troubles as they eye a European semi-final.
West Ham haven’t won a major continental crown since the 1964/65 European Cup but looking at the level of opposition in the ECL this season, they have a golden opportunity of ending their wait for a second European title.
The Irons travel away to Gent for the opening leg of their quarter-final and the match will not be a walk in the park.
The Belgian outfit have lost just three games on home territory this season while West Ham have won just four of their last 11 away encounters.
Gent are also enjoying a great goalscoring run, bagging 19 goals in their last five games.
Despite this, we’re backing the Premier League outfit to show their class in their quarter-final opener.
West Ham have won three of their last four games and, with the exception of their 5-1 defeat to Newcastle, they’re in relatively good form.
The Hammers are more than capable of bringing back a win from Belgium and our recommendation is to back the visitors to win a high-scoring clash.
West Ham to win and over 2.5 goals is our primary bet. Both teams to score and West Ham to score first also offer good value in the betting market.
