November 26, (THEWILL) – Following their 2-0 win over Rapid Wien at the Allianz Stadion in Vienna, David Moyes’ West Ham advanced to the Europa League knockout stages as Group H winners.
The Hammers made the brightest start to the game and had a fantastic chance to grab the lead after only six minutes. Jarrod Bowen was unmarked when Arthur Masuaka sent a tempting pass across goal to him, but he did not quite connect, and his attempt went wide.
But, Andriy Yarmolenko gave West Ham the lead five minutes before the break. He headed the Hammers in ahead after latching on to an outstanding Nikola Vlasic cross.
At the end of the first half, David Moyes’ team rightfully extended their lead. Yarmolenko was involved once more, this time drawing a foul from Maximilian Hofmann to earn a penalty kick, which Mark Noble converted.
West Ham were clearly not content with a 2-0 lead, and they started the second half just as quickly. Bowen had two shots saved and one cleared off the line early on, summing up a disappointing evening for the 24-year-old.
In the second half, Rapid Wien barely troubled the visitors, as Moyes’ charges simply confirmed their place as Group H victors without needing to score again. They will play Dinamo Zagreb in their last group stage encounter before moving on to the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, the hosts are still at the bottom of the group and will play their final encounter in Genk. With a win there, they can climb out of the basement of Group H.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
