West Ham United prediction made for clash v Backa Topola as ‘no fear’ verdict shared
West Ham will have “no fear” going into their Europa League clash against TSC Backa Topola, according to journalist Alex Keble.
The Hammers meet the Serbian club in their opening group stage match at the London Stadium on Thursday (21 September).
Also meeting the East London outfit in Europe this season will be Greek side Olympiacos and German club SC Freiburg.
“Entering their third successive season of European football, and qualifying for the Europa League as Europa Conference League winners, West Ham United are a vastly experienced team who enter this tournament full of confidence,” Keble wrote for the official Premier League website (20 September).
“David Moyes will have no fear ahead of the visit of novices Backa Topola, playing in Europe for the first time in their 110-year history.
“Including play-off matches, West Ham won 14 of their 15 matches in Europe last season, and on their way to the Europa League semi-finals the year before they lost only twice. This isn’t a team who tend to slip up against minnows. Serbian side TSC are certainly that.”
Straightforward win?
Everyone associated with West Ham should be very confident going into their group stage opener, for various reasons.
The first of which is the club’s start to the new season, with the Hammers producing several top displays, picking up impressive victories against the likes of Chelsea and Brighton.
Secondly, the London Stadium outfit lifted the Europa Conference League trophy not so long ago, with their players set to still be on a high from that unforgettable European night.
David Moyes’s men will, however, still be very cautious of a slip up against the Serbian minnows, who will be full of determination to cause a massive upset in what is an exciting European debut.
They have enjoyed a rapid rise in recent times, and also go into the clash in East London full of confidence. Moreover, knowing all of the pressure is on their hosts, the visiting team head into the match with absolutely nothing to lose.
In other West Ham news, Moyes has confirmed a start for one Hammers player in their Europa League clash against Backa Topola.