West Ham United drew 3-3 with Altona 93 on Tuesday evening.
West Ham United could only muster a 3-3 draw with German fifth-tier side Altona 93 on Tuesday evening, but fans got to see Javier Hernandez in claret and blue for the first time.
The Hammers have been working over in Germany ahead of the new Premier League season, but after a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen over the weekend, manager Slaven Bilic will have hoped for a more comfortable ride against Altona.
However, the Hamburg-based outfit took a shock lead when Nick Brisevac scored a long-range free kick, only for West Ham striker Toni Martinez to immediately hit back with an equaliser.
Dennis Thiessen put Altona back in front before Winston Reid was sent off for West Ham, but Andre Ayew did pull them level again after the break, only for Darius Stode to give Altona the lead for a third time.
It didn’t last though, with Nathan Holland’s strike forcing an own goal from Joshua Du Preez, and a remarkably entertaining friendly ended in a 3-3 draw.
Manager Bilic won’t be happy with how his side defended, but he will be delighted to have given playing time to striker Hernandez, who played 20 minutes as a second half substitute.
Javier Hernandez of Mexico
The Mexican international, who has scored goals in England, Spain and Germany in recent years, is seen as the goalscorer that West Ham have been crying out for over the last few years.
Whilst West Ham fans only got a glimpse of what Hernandez can offer, it hasn’t stopped them from becoming excited about his impact, praising his passion and the attacking threat he brought in his limited time on the pitch, with some even touting him for a strike partnership with Martinez.
What did you think of Hernandez’s debut?
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