West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt result: Europa League semi-final advantage goes to visitors after Kamada strike

Graham Caygill

•
West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt result: Europa League semi-final advantage goes to visitors after Kamada strike image

Daichi Kamada's strike gave Eintracht Frankfurt the edge as they won the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie with West Ham United 2-1 at London Stadium on Thursday night.

He tapped home eight minutes after half-time as Alphonse Areola could only parry away Djibril Sow's shot to give the Bundesliga side a fifth successive away win in the competition.

Frankfurt had enjoyed a dream start as they had opened the scoring after only 50 seconds as Ansgar Knauff headed home Rafael Borre's centre.

West Ham hit back as Michail Antonio forced home the ball from Kurt Zouma's header, but Kamada's goal proved decisive.

The home side were left to reflect on Jarrod Bowen twice hitting the woodwork, the second with an overhead kick in stoppage time that came back off the bar.

MORE: Where is the Europa League final 2022? Date, time, city & stadium host for UEFA title

Goal after 50 seconds sets Frankfurt up perfectly

How do you silence a crowd of 60,000 people, the vast majority noisy Londoners hoping to see their side triumph in arguably their biggest game in six years at the London Stadium? By scoring inside the first minute.

That is exactly what Frankfurt did as they set their stall out from the off with a flowing passing move that got them in to West Ham's penalty area. David Moyes will be furious with the amount of space that Borre was given to first get the ball and then turn and cross it, with his centre finding the unmarked Knauff.

Frankfurt were a force on the break all night but it was their ability to raise their game at the start of both halves was the key. They had survived West Ham's comeback and equaliser to begin the second half still level. They again played with purpose, and the intricate passing that created the space for the second goal was the move of the match.

Bowen hits woodwork twice to leave West Ham wondering what could have been

This was not a great night for West Ham. Sloppy at times in defence and guilty of giving Frankfurt's midfield too much space. But they still could have got something from the game and have been heading to Germany next week level.

Antonio was the goalscorer and arguably had one of his best displays at London Stadium in 2022, his pace and physical prowess a constant problem for the Frankfurt defence.

But it was Bowen who could have been the hero, twice hitting the woodwork. He struck the post early on, before Antonio's equaliser, but it was his second effort that was the heartbreaking one. In stoppage time, he threw himself in the air with a stunning overhead kick, the ball coming back off the underside of the bar to be cleared away by the visiting defence.

Advantage Frankfurt but hope for Moyes

West Ham now know they must win next Thursday in Germany to have any chance of going through. A one-goal victory and it goes to extra-time, anything better than that and they will prevail.

Frankfurt were impressive but it has been their away form that has been key to their run to the semi-finals. Given the Irons' 3-0 win in Lyon two weeks ago, Moyes will certainly believe his players still have it in their locker to reach the final.

West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt final score

  1H 2H Final
West Ham 1 - 1
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 1 2

Goals (Assist):

1 min - FRANKFURT - Knauff (Borre)

21 mins - WEST HAM - Antonio (Zouma)

53 mins - FRANKFURT - Kamada (Sow)

West Ham vs. Eintracht Frankfurt commentary and highlights

Full-time: West Ham 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 2. Final whistle and West Ham will have to win in Germany next Thursday to have any chance of going through.

The Bundesliga side triumph thanks to a strong start to both halves and they will now be confident of reaching the May 18 final.

That completes our live coverage of tonight's action at the London Stadium. Good night!

90 mins +1: Agony for West Ham. Bowen's stunning overhead kick bounces down off the underside of the bar and is cleared. From the following corner Soucek heads over.

90 mins: Three minutes of stoppage time to be played.

88 mins: Bowen has a header deflected over from close range after Benrahma had found him with a cross. West Ham trying to build some late pressure but nothing comes from the resulting corner.

85 mins: Zouma is struggling with what looks like another knock on the injured ankle that had kept him out the previous three weeks. But he is playing on.

81 mins: With stoppage time included there are around 10 minutes remaining for Frankfurt to hold out for a fifth successive away win in the Europa League. At the moment they are looking more likely to add a third, rather than West Ham find an equaliser.

West Ham do have an appeal for a penalty for a high foot on Bowen but nothing is doing from the official.

78 mins: Big let off for West Ham. Kamada gets away on left but his shot deflects off Craig Dawson's leg and spins off the post, with Areola beaten, and away to safety. 3-1, even with the second leg still to come, would be becoming very much tall order for West Ham.

76 mins: Benrahma gets space on left but fires wide. It would have been controversial if it had gone in as Frankfurt had a man down in the shape of Martin Hinteregger and they are not happy West Ham played on and both Benrahma and Rice, who played the ball to him, are confronted.

73 mins: West Ham's excellent win in Lyon in the quarter-finals means that even with an one-goal deficit they would definitely still consider themselves well in the tie going to Germany. They have created little in terms of a threat of getting an equaliser so far. Bowen finds space but his pass to an unmarked Benrahma is poor and is easily intercepted.

68 mins: Almost instant impact from Benrahma. He beats two men on the edge of the box and his dipping effort clips the post as it goes behind. West Ham needed some impetus to get back in this game and their man off the bench has definitely offered that.

66 mins: West Ham's first change as Said Benrahma comes on for Lanzini.

65 mins: Fornals drags a shot wide at far post as Frankfurt only half clear a corner.

61 mins: First sub and it is enforced for Frankfurt as Jesper Lindstrom limps off to be replaced by Jens Petter Hague.

60 mins: Frankfurt look much more comfortable in this second half, keeping the ball well and having more control in midfield. They deserved their goal and West Ham really are on the back foot here.

58 mins: All the noise in the London Stadium is now coming from a delighted away end. West Ham have hit back once, can they do it again?

53 mins: GOAL!!! West Ham 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 2

Frankfurt are back in front and it is a lovely goal. Intricate passing opens West Ham up as Sow played through. His shot is saved by Areola, but Kamada is on to the rebound and taps it home from practically on the line.

Video available to UK audience only

52 mins: Neither defence is looking that convincing and it is hard to believe there will not be more goals in this encounter.

48 mins: First chance of second half falls to West Ham as Antonio's cross from the left finds Soucek on the edge of the area, but he hooks his effort well wide.

47 mins: Frankfurt have lost all four of their previous ties with English sides, most recently against Chelsea in the Europa League semi-finals in 2019. A draw on paper is a fine result here to take back to Germany, but given they have performed better on the road than at home this season in both the Europa League and the Bundesliga they'd want a lead you'd think.

SECOND HALF STARTS: Back under way at the London Stadium.

HALF-TIME: 1-1 it is. Frankfurt got off to a flier with a goal in less than 60 seconds but West Ham recovered well and had the better of the half as a whole.

Both managers will be content and what we have to come in the second 45 minutes and how the sides approach it will be fascinating with next Thursday's second leg in Germany in mind.

Back in 15 minutes!

44 mins: Good play from West Ham as a spell of pressure ends with Soucek having a shot blocked inside the penalty area.

38 mins: Big scare for West Ham. It is that man Knauff who gets in behind the defence again, but he is unable to get a shot on target under pressure from Aaron Cresswell.

35 mins: The game has calmed down a little after a frenetic first 20 minutes. West Ham's intensity has dropped a little since levelling, while Frankfurt are content to try and hit the home side on the break when they can, trying to get Kostic on the left flank into the game where possible.

30 mins: That was Antonio's first goal in any competition since March 2 and he deserves it. He has been terrific so far and has really caused Frankfurt problems.

25 mins: It has been a terrific response from West Ham but they cannot afford to let their guard down. Daichi Kamada gets away on the left for the Bundesliga side and his cross spins across the goal with West Ham relieved to see that none of his teammates were in the vicinity to help it home.

21 mins: GOAL!!! West Ham 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 1

It had been coming and West Ham are level. Zouma's header across goal from a free-kick is hooked goalwards by Antonio and despite the best efforts of the Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp it was adjudged to have crossed the line.

Video only available to UK audience

18 mins: Antonio and Bowen are troubling Frankfurt with their speed and both men have got behind the German side's defence already. Warning signs for the Bundesliga side though they show their danger on the break as Kostic races away after Bowen loses possession but his final ball to Borre is wayward.

14 mins: So close to an equaliser. Bowen goes through on goal from a pass from Pablo Fornals but his shot hits the outside of the post and bounces away.

12 mins: Better from West Ham. A spell of possession ends with a ball through to Antonio, but he was offside. But encouraging all the same. No need to panic yet. 

8 mins: Perfect start for Frankfurt, who remember have not lost yet in any match in the Europa League this season. A real challenge ahead for West Ham, who are struggling to get a foothold in this game so far as the Germans dominate possession.

5 mins: Well, that is how you silence a noisy crowd of East Londoners. The West Ham players and fans look shellshocked.

1 minute: GOAL!!! West Ham 0 Eintracht Frankfurt 1

Dream start for the Germans as Ansgar Knauff heads home with less than a minute on the clock! Awful defending from West Ham as Knauff is able to nip at the far post to nod home from Rafael Borre's centre.

Video only available to UK audience

KICK OFF: We are under way at the London Stadium.

4 minutes to KO: Teams are out on the pitch at the London Stadium and an amazing atmosphere as I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles echoes around the arena. 

10 minutes to KO: Amusing slip of the tongue from David Moyes. Speaking to BT Sport, he is asked what playing in an European semi-final means to him and the club. He replied: "We enjoyed winning the semi-final." Then checked himself and added: "I mean the quarter-final. I wish that had been the semi-final. But that was a great achievement but we are now focused on tonight and delivering another big night for our supporters."

The teams have finished their warm ups and are now back in the dressing rooms ready for the action to begin shortly.

15 minutes to KO: BT Sport's coverage is up and running in the UK and they have been hearing from Eintracht Frankfurt's Djibril Sow on what they are wary about with West Ham. "They like to get a lot of crosses in and they have some big players," said the Swiss midfielder. "It has worked for them well and we have to be ready to deal with."

25 minutes to KO: Frankfurt made headlines two weeks ago by not only winning in Barcelona but doing so with 30,000 of their fans having made the journey from Germany. There are not as many in London tonight, but the Bundesliga side are certainly not lacking in support as they try and reach their first major final since they won the UEFA Cup in 1980.

40 minutes to KO: The major boost for West Ham tonight is that Kurt Zouma has recovered sufficiently from an ankle injury to be part of the Premier League side's defensive unit.

50 minutes to KO: Teams will be out warming up shortly with the atmosphere already building up nicely at the London Stadium. The last time West Ham were in this situation in 1976, in the European Cup Winners' Cup, by coincidence it was Frankfurt they faced in the semi-finals. West Ham prevailed 4-3 on aggregate after losing the first leg in Germany 2-1. They'll be hoping for a similar result to this tie, though a different outcome in the final. In 1976 they lost 4-2 to Anderlecht in the final.

80 minutes to KO: And now we have the Frankfurt line-up too. Two changes from the side that prevailed in Barcelona two weeks ago. Djibril Sow is in for Kristijan Jakic in midfield and Tuta replaces the suspended Obite Ndicka in defence.

75 minutes to KO: We have the West Ham team and six changes from Sunday's loss to Chelsea with as expected Rice, Bowen, Antonio and Manuel Lanzini all coming back in.

85 minutes to KO: It was their 3-2 win in Barcelona, a game where the Bundesliga side were 3-0 up after 67 minutes, that really made European football fans stand up and take note of Eintracht Frankfurt. But their away form has been formidable in the Europa League this season, winning five of their six games on the road, with the other result being a draw at Fenerbahce. 22 of their 40 points in the Bundesliga have come away from home for them, so Oliver Glasner's side should not be underestimated by West Ham fans.

100 minutes to KO: Not long now until we know the teams for tonight's action. David Moyes showed his intentions now, despite West Ham having a small chance of still finishing fourth in the Premier League, by making a number of changes to rest players for Sunday's 1-0 loss at Chelsea. Jarrod Bowen, Declan Rice and Michail Antonio will certainly expect not to be on the bench tonight for what promises to be one of the biggest night's in West Ham's short history at the London Stadium.

2 hours to KO: Good evening. A big opportunity for the two unfancied sides here to reach a major European final, not something that comes around often. Seventh in the Premier League against ninth in the Bundesliga with both teams having the carrot of knowing that if they triumph they will be just one game away, when the final is played on May 18 in Sevilla, from not only winning a major trophy but also qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.

How to watch West Ham vs Eintracht Frankfurt

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Thur, April 28 Thur, April 28 Thur, April 28 Fri, April 29
Time 20:00 15:00 ET 15:00 ET 05:00 AET
TV channel BT Sport 1 TUDN — —
Streaming BT Sport fuboTV, Paramount+ DAZN Stan Sport

UK: The match will be available on BT Sport 1 and streamed on BT Sport platforms.

USA: In the US, the match will be televised by TUDN and that channel is streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. Paramount+ will have the English-language stream.

Canada: In Canada, every Europa League game streams live on DAZN.

Australia: Stan Sport carries all Europa League action in Australia.

West Ham vs Eintracht Frankfurt predicted lineups

Craig Dawson and Declan Rice celebrate a West Ham goal
Getty Images

West Ham go into this game with just one fit centre back, Craig Dawson. With injuries keeping out Issa Diop, Kurt Zouma, and Angelo Ogbonna. Dawson is expected to be flanked by Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell.

The three centre backs are the only expected absences for Moyes's team, with Declan Rice and Michail Antonio among the players who Hammers fans will be counting on. Alphonse Areola has been West Ham's goalkeeper for European matches.

West Ham predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Areola (GK) — Johnson, Dawson, Cresswell — Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Masuaku — Bowen, Fornals — Antonio

Eintracht manager Oliver Glasner has a few concerns, with Kristijan Jakic and Evan Ndicka both suspended. Tuta is expected to feature along the backline as he returns from suspension, while Makoto Hasebe is likely to start on the left of the back three.

If healthy, Djibril Sow should also take part from the start. He'll likely partner Sebastian Rode in midfield.

Eintracht Frankfurt predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Trapp (GK) — Tuta, Hinteregger, Hasebe — Knauff, Sow, Rode, Kostic — Kamada, Lindstrom — Borre

MORE: How many trophies have West Ham won? A complete list of major silverware

West Ham vs Eintracht Frankfurt betting odds

West Ham are touted as the favourites going into the first leg, and David Moyes will look for his side to maximise home advantage and take control of the series.

With both teams facing defensive reshuffles, and West Ham only having one recognised centre back, it's interesting that the bookmakers are juicing the under entering the match.

  UK
(Sky Bet)		 USA
(DraftKings)		 Canada
(Sports Interaction)
West Ham win 10/11 -105 1.88
Draw 12/5 +250 3.73
Eintracht win 11/4 +310 3.69
Over/Under 2.5 goals 10/11 -105 / -120 1.94 / 1.84
Both teams to score (Yes/No) 8/11 -130 / +100 1.74 / 1.86

Graham Caygill