Next up, West Ham travel to Manchester United in the Premier League, with Silkeborg hosting Viborg in the Superliga.
West Ham confirmed their place at the top of Group B with one game remaining after a Lanzini penalty was enough to beat Silkeborg. Making nine changes to the team that beat Bournemouth, Coventry lashed a shot wide before West Ham gained the lead. Benrahma created the chance, slipping the ball through to Antonio who was tripped inside the box by outrushing goalkeeper Larsen. With no VAR check required, Lanzini took responsibility from the spot, slamming the ball into the bottom corner. Benrahma failed to convert either of his two shots before the break, with Fornals given a golden opportunity just after the restart. Receiving the ball in the middle of the box after Klynge handed him possession, the Spaniard struck the ball wide. Having just three shots across the match, Silkeborg’s best efforts came within a matter of minutes. Klynge drove a low effort into the gloves of Areola before Tengstedt's high attempt from inside the box was pushed over the bar. Substitute Scamacca headered the ball over late in the match, but his miss did not matter, with the Danish outfit failing to shoot after the hour mark.
90' + 5' FULL-TIME: WEST HAM 1-0 SILKEBORG
90' + 2' One minute remaining with West Ham holding the ball deep in the Silkeborg half.
T. Souček
Yellow Card
90' + 1' West Ham get another yellow card. This time Soucek is penalised for stepping on the foot of Oggesen.
89' Downes finds Coufal who rushes beyond him on the right. The right wing-back then crosses high looking for Scamacca but the goalkeeper comes out to claim it.
87' Downes has a chance to thread the ball through to Lanzini who runs unmarked down the middle of the pitch but he does not see the Argentine.
85' It has been 30 minutes since Silkeborg last attempted a shot in this game.
A. Lind
S. Tengstedt
84' Substitution for Silkeborg. Tengstedt is replaced by Rasmussen.
T. Souček
M. Antonio
84' Antonio is replaced by Soucek with Scamacca now the only West Ham striker on the pitch.
D. Rice
C. Coventry
83' Coventry gets a rest. He is replaced in the West Ham midfield by Rice.
83' Scamacca heads the ball over from a corner.
82' West Ham want to lock the game down. Rice and Soucek are about to be introduced.
G. Scamacca
Yellow Card
80' Substitute Scamacca gets a yellow card after a crunching challenge.
79' Adamsen has a chance. He gets to the ball before Kehrer after latching onto a ball forward but not Areola. The goalkeeper pushes the ball against his knee with it bouncing out for a goal-kick.
78' Two substitutes look to combine with Scamacca hoping to switch the play to Downes. From left to right, the pass is poor, with the ball bouncing out for a goal-kick.
T. Kehrer
N. Aguerd
76' Aguerd's West Ham debut comes to an end. Kehrer replaces him in the middle of the defence.
L. Klitten
Yellow Card
76' Klitten gets a yellow card after a number of fouls. This time he is punished for pulling back Coufal. Before distributing the card, the referee holds three figures up.
74' Kehrer is about to come on.
73' Coufal shakes his head and waves his arms. He thinks he has won the ball fairly in the Silkeborg half but the referee gives a free-kick.
71' Kusk goes long searching for Adamsen but Johnson and Aguerd block his path, allowing Areola to collect the ball.
M. Kaalund
A. Klynge
69' Substitution for Silkeborg. Klynge comes off with Larsen replacing him.
T. Adamsen
N. Helenius
68' Substitution for Silkeborg. Jensen is replaced by Adamsen.
G. Scamacca
S. Benrahma
68' West Ham are now playing with two natural strikers. Benrahma is replaced by Scamacca.
F. Downes
Pablo Fornals
68' A swap in the West Ham midfield with Downes replacing Fornals.
66' West Ham have the ball in the net but the offside flag is raised. Fornals was caught after receiving a switch from right to left from Coufal. The midfielder then squares the ball to Antonio who converts from close range but the whistle is blown. No check is required on this one.
64' Scamacca is ready to come on. He is getting instructions from the West Ham coaching team. Antonio is the most likely candidate to be replaced.
62' Fonals' inswinging corner gets a touch off of Oggesen before coming to Benrahma. The Algerian moves the ball onto his left foot before his goal-bound effort is blocked on the line by Felix.
60' After a positive spell from Silkeborg, West Ham have wrestled back control of the match.
58' In the middle of the Silkeborg half, Coventry slides the ball towards Antonio. The striker turns away from his marker looking to gain space to shoot but Klitten comes across to win possession.
55' SAVE! A much tougher test for Areola this time. Kusk lays the ball into the path of Tengstedt who gets the ball out of his feet before smashing the ball high towards the roof of the net. The goalkeeper is equal to it, pushing his effort over the bar. The shot came from inside the West Ham box.
53' Areola is forced into a save. Klynge has the ball on the left just outside the box, drifting inside before his low drive was collected by the goalkeeper. The Silkeborg man ignored Tengstedt who was rushing into the area.
51' West Ham have had the lead at half time on two occasions in the Europa Conference League this season, winning both games.
50' Antonio fires the ball from the left towards Coventry. However, the midfielder is tackled by Klynge.
48' WIDE! West Ham should have doubled their advantage. Klynge gives the ball to Fornals in the middle of the box with the Spaniard lashing his attempt wide.
47' Emerson and Benrahma play a one-two with the latter of the pair putting the ball through the legs of a defender and out of play. He thinks it should be a corner but a goal-kick is given.
47' West Ham get the second half underway.
K. Kusk
S. Jørgensen
46' Substitution for Silkeborg. Jorgensen is replaced by Kusk in the attack. He scored against West Ham in the reverse fixture.
A. Oggesen
R. Gojani
46' Substitution for Silkeborg. Gojani is replaced by Oggesen in the midfield.
West Ham have been the better side going forward but must be more accurate with their shots. Only four of the 12 attempts have been on target, with Coventry, Benrahma and Antonio all putting the ball wide. The latter two have troubled the goalkeeper on one occasion, but Larsen did not have to do much to keep their effort out. For Silkeborg, they know that a win will see them through to the knockout stage. With Anderlecht drawing with FCSB earlier, an inspired second half performance will see them through with a game to spare and avoid a dramatic final match against the Belgian outfit.
West Ham are a step closer to confirming their place at the top of Group B with Lanzini’s penalty giving them the lead at the break. It was Antonio who won the spot-kick, getting on the end of Benrahma’s threaded throughball before being tripped by the knee of Larsen. The Argentine took responsibility for the spot-kick, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. The London club dominated before and after scoring and could have found the net through Coventry. Benrahma was involved again, cutting the ball back towards the midfielder who beat Gojani before crashing the ball wide from just inside the box. Silkeborg had just one shot in the opening 45 minutes, with Jorgensen's drilled effort caught by Areola.
45' HALF-TIME: WEST HAM 1-0 SILKEBORG
44' Positioned near the corner flag, Coufal sends the ball back to Johnson. He looks to curl the ball towards Antonio but the ball goes behind the striker whose overhead attempt lands into the gloves of the goalkeeper.
42' West Ham lose possession just outside the box after some intricate play. Short quick passes between Coufal, Coventry and Benrahma concludes with the last of the trio having the ball on the edge of the box. He then looks to continue the spell of possession with a pass to Antonio, but the forward runs the other way, sprinting into the box.
40' Klynge slides the ball down the left to Thordarson who overlaps him. The midfielder curls an inviting cross across the box but nobody is there to meet it.
C. Coventry
Yellow Card
37' Coventry gets West Ham's first yellow card of the game after committing a foul just inside Silkeborg's half.
36' Benrahma heads the ball wide after meeting Coufal's cross from the right. He was unmarked in the middle of the Silkeborg box.
35' Silkeborg have struggled going forward. They have had just one shot with an xG of 0.06.
33' Fornals' tame header from inside the Silkeborg box is caught by Larsen.
32' On the right, Gojani aims for Helenius in the middle of the box. The ball reaches the striker but the captain cannot control it and Silkeborg lose possession.
30' Benrahma wins the ball inside the Silkeborg half after Gojani gives it away. He bursts to the edge of the box before smashing the ball over the bar.
28' Helenius runs down the left looking to cause the West Ham defence problems but is stopped by Aguerd who comes across to poke the ball out for a throw-in.
26' Silkeborg have their first shot of the game. It comes through Jorgensen who drills a shot straight at Areola who was positioned well to catch it.
M. Lanzini
Penalty Goal
24' GOAALLLL! LANZINI SCORES! 1-0 WEST HAM! After Antonio won the penalty, it is Lanzini who is given the responsibility to score it. The Argentine is composed, tucking the ball into the bottom right corner. The goalkeeper goes the right way but cannot save the precise spot-kick.
23' PENALTY WEST HAM! Antonio is tripped by Larsen. Latching onto Benrahma's throughball, he gets to the ball before the goalkeeper and is tripped by his knee. West Ham have won three penalties in the Europa Conference League this season, more than any other team.
22' Silkeborg have not had much of the ball and are yet to have a shot. In possession, their following fans are cheering every pass.
20' WIDE! Coventry goes close for West Ham. Positioned on the right this time, Benrahma squares the ball to the midfielder who is positioned on the edge of the box. Faking to shoot, he fools Gojani before lashing his attempt just wide of the post.
18' Benrahma gets involved in a West Ham attack for the first time. On the left, he clips a cross towards Antonio but the ball is cleared away.
16' West Ham are playing five-at-the-back. Coufal and Emerson are positioned as wing-backs on either side of Johnson, Aguerd and Ogbonna.
15' West Ham have had 68.2 per cent of the possession over the opening 15 minutes of this game.
15' With Lazini over it, the Argentine plays it short to Emerson. The full-back then curls the ball towards Ogbonna with the defender heading it wide.
14' West Ham have a free-kick in a crossing position after Klynge clatters into Fornals.
12' Antonio tests Larsen for the first time. This time Fornals finds him on the left. On the byline, he rolls the ball onto his right foot before his powerful drive from a tight angle is knocked away.
10' Fornals bursts into Silkeborg's box before laying the ball to the right looking for Antonio. However, the veteran did not anticipate his pass with the pair unhappy with each other.
8' West Ham have the first shot of the game. On the left, Emerson cuts the ball onto his right foot before curling a cross towards Antonio. The former Southampton man gets his head on the ball but it goes over the bar with the goalkeeper untroubled.
7' Coufal and Fornals play a one-two near Silkeborg's corner flag. The Spanish midfielder looks to loop a cross into the box but it is cleared away by the head of Thordarson.
5' Johnson gives the ball to Antiono who is midway through the Silkeborg half. Looking to spread the play across to Emerson who is unmarked, the attack is stopped with the striker committing a foul on Gojani.
3' Not much to report in the opening few minutes. West Ham have had most of the ball but they have mainly passed it around the defence waiting for an opening. Coufal did look to play through Antonio with a direct attempt up the pitch but the striker was offside.
1' Silkeborg get this Europa Conference League clash underway.
Silkeborg’s Joel Felix (336) and Mark Brink (375) have completed more passes than any other players in the group stages of this season’s Conference League and have both done so with passing accuracy percentages of over 93 per cent.
As for Sikeborg, Kent Nielsen makes two alterations to the side that lost against Horsens in the Superliga. Ostrom plays at right-back instead of Oliver Sonne, with Tengstedt preferred ahead of Kusk behind the striker.
West Ham make nine changes to the team that beat Bournemouth in the Premier League. In the goalkeeping position, Areola replaces Fabianski. In the defence, Coufal, Ogbonna and Aguerd come into the team with Zouma, Kehrer and Cresswell dropping to the bench. Johnson retains his place but moves from right-back to centre-back. Switching from two in the midfield to three, Rice and Soucek are rested, with Fornals, Coventry and Emerson all starting. Bowen is out of the squad and is replaced on the right of the attack by Lanzini. Downes and Scamacca also move out of the side, with Antonio leading the attack.
SILKEBORG SUBS: Oscar Hedvall, Aske Andresen, Pelle Mattsson, Kasper Kusk, Alexander Lind, Mads Larsen, Anders Dahl, Tonni Adamsen, Andreas Oggesen, Andre Calisir, Lukas Engel, Alexander Busch.
SILKEBORG (4-3-2-1): Nicolai Larsen; Robin Ostrom, Tobias Salquist, Joel Felix, Lukas Klitten; Stefan Thordarson, Robert Gojani, Anders Klynge; Soren Tengstedt, Sebastian Jorgensen; Nicklas Helenius.
WEST HAM SUBS: Darren Randolph, Krisztian Hegyi, Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma, Gianluca Scamacca, Flynn Downes, Thilo Kehrer, Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice, Keenan Appiah-Forson, Freddie Potts.
WEST HAM (4-3-3): Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Ben Johnson, Angelo Ogbonna, Nayef Aguerd; Pablo Fornals, Conor Coventry, Emerson; Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma.
Silkeborg failed to collect any points from their opening two games, losing narrowly to Anderlecht and West Ham, before demolishing FCSB 5-0 home and away to move into second. They are two points above the Belgian outfit, so will only qualify for the next stage of the competition if they win and Anderlecht fail to do so. Otherwise, it will go down to the final matchday. They are up against a West Ham side that have won all three of their previous games against Danish opposition in European competitions, scoring exactly three goals in each fixture (inc. qualifiers).
West Ham will secure the top spot in Group B if they avoid defeat against Silkeborg. Six points above the Danish side, David Moyes’ team booked their place in the knockout round after beating Anderlecht 2-1 last time out, which was their fourth successive win in the competition. In the reverse fixture, the Premier League outfit beat Silkeborg 3-2, with Manuel Lanzini, Gianluca Scamacca and Craig Dawson all scoring for the London club.
Hello and welcome to the live commentary for the Europa Conference League clash between West Ham and Silkeborg.
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