UECL Quarter-Finals First Leg: West Ham vs. K.A.A. Gent

Start Time: 11:45 a.m. CST on April 13, 2023

Location: Ghelamco Arena, Ghent, Belgium

FanDuel Betting Odds: West Ham +130; Draw +210; Gent +220

West Ham (14th in the Premier League); Manager: David Moyes

Recent Results: 1-0 win vs. Fulham (Premier League); 1-5 loss vs. Newcastle (Premier League); 1-0 win vs. Southampton (Premier League).

K.A.A. Gent (4th in the Belgian Pro League); Manager: Hein Vanhaezebrouck

Recent Results: 1-1 draw vs. Union St. Gilloise (Belgian Pro League); 5-0 win vs. RFC Seraing (Belgian Pro League); 3-0 win vs. Eupen (Belgian Pro League).

FotMob Projected Lineups:

West Ham will look to continue their perfect record in the Europa Conference League on Thursday as they'll take on Belgium's K.A.A. Gent in the competition's quarter-finals. The Hammers last UECL action was at the London Stadium on March 16, where they finished off AEK Larnaca 4-0 (6-0 AGG.) in the Round-of-16.

After a horrid result against Newcastle, West Ham picked up three vital points at Craven Cottage last Saturday. It wasn't a pretty 90 minutes, but a first-half own-goal and solid performance from the back line helped the Hammers come out victorious.

Though West Ham find themselves in 14th for the time being, a tough run of fixtures to end the season awaits us, including Arsenal, Man City, Man United, and a surging Crystal Palace.

Although the worry of relegation is real in the Premier League, it's all rainbows and sunshine in the Europa Conference League. West Ham have not drawn or lost a single match in the competition, and are currently +250 to win the trophy. In a season filled with loads of negativity, it would be outstanding to win the UECL, even if the competition has only existed for two years.

West Ham were drawn against Belgium's K.A.A. Gent for the quarter-finals, and once again the Hammers are head and shoulders above their competition. It's tough for other European countries to compete with the talent and finances of the Premier League. When you can bring players like Kehrer, Antonio, and Areola off the bench for a European matchup, you're in a good position as a club.

Though Gent are at a massive disadvantage, they do have decent players like midfielder Julien De Sart and attacker Hugo Cuypers. However, I think the Hammers will return to the London Stadium next week for the second leg with a sizable lead on aggregate.

Europa Conference League Quarter-Finals Prediction: West Ham 3 K.A.A. Gent 0

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