Another European trophy will be handed out on Wednesday as Fiorentina and West Ham United meet in the Europa Conference League final in Prague.
Bookmaker 10bet is offering odds at 1.90 for Fiorentina to win the cup and at 1.83 for West Ham to triumph.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 6th, 7:30 P.M. (EST)
Victory on Wednesday would be huge for both clubs as neither side has much to show for their previous European exploits. Fiorentina hasn’t seen any continental success since winning the old UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961 and West Ham has won the same trophy in 1965, while also being one of the winning sides in the 1999 Intertoto Cup.
Additionally, the European hopes for next season hinge on this match for both sides after Fiorentina finished eighth in Serie A and West Ham had a very disappointing Premier League campaign with a 14th-place finish. The poor league form also means that David Moyes’ future at London Stadium likely depends on this match.
Moyes will likely take a conservative approach in the game and will mainly try to hurt Fiorentina with quick counter-attacks. The pace and power of Michail Antonio has caused opposing teams problems all season in Europe, while the creativity of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma could also prove to be vital.
The Hammers’ defensive performance will also be a key element of the big game. Fiorentina has scored a competition-best 36 goals in 14 games on their route to the final. There are seven players in the squad with multiple goals this season in Europe, meaning Moyes’ men will attacking threats from all over the pitch.
The Fiorentina attack will continue to rely the most on the trio of Arthur Cabral, Luka Jovic and Nicolas Gonzalez. The three have combined for 18 goals in the Conference League this season and Cabral is sharing the competition’s top scorers honors with Basel’s Zeki Amdouni. The Brazilian forward averages a goal every 94 minutes, which shows that it’s very difficult to keep him quiet for a whole match.
The hot offense has done a great job compensating for Fiorentina’s defensive shortcomings. The team has registered only three clean sheets across its last 16 outings across all competitions and manager Vincenzo Italiano will want to see an improved effort at the back Wednesday. After all, it’s defense that wins you championships.
