Lyon 0-3 West Ham United (1-4 on aggregate): Hammers reach first European semi-final in 46 years

West Ham United will face Eintracht Frankfurt for a spot in the Europa League closing after the Hammers secured their first European semi-final in 46 years with a shocking second-leg victory in Lyon.

The guests struck twice in seven minutes on the finish of the first half, as Craig Dawson met Pablo Fornals’ nook with an excellent near-post header earlier than a deflected Declan Rice strike put the Premier League membership in whole cost.

Jarrod Bowen prolonged the benefit inside three minutes of the restart, slotting in on the finish of a sweeping counter-attack, and a deflated Lyon may supply no response as West Ham comfortably noticed out a memorable win.

The assertion victory arrange the largest match in the membership’s latest historical past, towards Bundesliga facet Frankfurt, who upset Spanish giants Barcelona 3-2 on the Nou Camp to win 4-3 on combination.

Brilliant West Ham go away Lyon surprised

Frankfurt had been additionally the opposition in the final 4 of the 1976 European Cup Winners’ Cup, in West Ham’s final main European semi-final.

The Hammers prevailed 4-3 on combination on that event and it’s the German facet they have to as soon as once more overcome if they’re to reach the ultimate in Seville subsequent month, as their massively spectacular Europa League journey continues.

Moyes and his gamers may already be immensely happy with their European run this season, having topped their group earlier than eliminating Sevilla – among the many favourites for the competitors – on a memorable evening at London Stadium in the final 16.

But the style of this newest victory, towards a membership who had been Champions League semi-finalists two years in the past, means they may rightly consider they will go even additional.

Karl Toko Ekambi had struck the publish contained in the opening 5 minutes and it required last-ditch defending to disclaim Houssem Aouar, however West Ham efficiently weathered the hosts’ dominant begin.

That was regardless of lacking left-back Aaron Cresswell, after his first-leg pink card, and injured centre-back Kurt Zouma, because the guests fielded what Moyes described earlier than kick-off as a “patched up” defence.

Bowen volleyed huge on the stretch from Michail Antonio’s cross as West Ham started to say themselves, although, and Lyon had been merely left shell-shocked by sucker punches from Dawson and Rice.

A superb cross from Fornals picked out Bowen for his fifteenth objective of the season to maneuver the away facet inside reach of the semi-finals, however there was nonetheless work to be achieved as Lyon racked up the makes an attempt, to no avail, in the closing levels.

Lyon, tenth in Ligue 1, had not misplaced in 9 Europa League video games this time period regardless of their home struggles – however their defeat was greeted by unsavoury scenes at full-time as supporters tried to get onto the pitch, whereas violence was reported among the many residence followers in the stands.