Brian Kerr backs West Ham to beat Lyon and Barcelona in Europa League
Brian Kerr believes West Ham have a great chance of beating both Lyon and Barcelona in the Europa League, while speaking to the Off The Ball podcast.
The Hammers progressed to the last eight of the tournament thanks to an extra-time win over Sevilla in the last round, and will now take on Lyon in the quarter-finals.
A win over the Ligue 1 club could set up a semi-final clash with Spanish giants Barcelona, who are now managed by Xavi, and Kerr feels that the Hammers can’t be underestimated just because Barcelona have now improved from earlier in the season.
“I wouldn’t underestimate their ability to beat Lyon. And if they beat Lyon, it’s possible that they can beat Barcelona, even if they have improved.
“[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang has gone there from Arsenal, he is scoring a few goals and the young players in midfield in Pedri and Gavi are really clever players. But they are still vulnerable in defence. I think West Ham have a chance. They are a top six or seven team in the Premier League at the moment.
“Barcelona are back in the top four in Spain but they have had a very mixed season to say the least and they look like they are unproven.”
East London spirit
If West Ham are going to have their success in Europe this season, they will need the famous east London spirit to carry them through.
Against Lyon they are likely to be the favourites to progress considering the French side’s struggles domestically, but any potential semi-final against Barcelona would undoubtedly see them as underdogs.
That’s a position that Moyes has got West Ham to thrive in though, with a fierce passion for defending and an excellent counter attack making them hard for anyone to deal with.
The Europa League is a prestigious tournament for the Hammers so the further they go the better the journey for the fans and more excitement that will build.
Potentially just five games away from immortality at the London Stadium, nobody is laughing if you pick them to win the Europa League this season.
In other West Ham news, ‘More than capable’ – BBC Pundit makes West Ham Europa League prediction: ‘Difficult’