West Ham United must now come from behind at Eintracht Frankfurt to reach the Europa League final, but David Moyes can draw inspiration from the Irons’ 1976 run to advance.
One agonisingly close miss from an acrobatic Jarrod Bowen overhead kick meant the Irons fell to a 2-1 semi-final first-leg defeat on Thursday night. Ansgar Knauff had put the visitors ahead inside the opening minute to silence the London Stadium after a perfectly timed run.
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Michail Antonio would draw the Hammers level 20 minutes later, tapping in Kurt Zouma’s re-directed cross into an open net. But after West Ham’s early second-half moves came to nothing, Daichi Kamada tapped home after Alphonse Areola parried Djibril Sow’s low shot.
Knauff enjoyed chances to stretch Eintracht Frankfurt’s advantage away to West Ham, but the 20-year-old could only tease further goals. Die Adler played with intent whenever they attacked, threatening to punish the Irons for their patient and measured build-up play.
Moyes will take comfort in how close the Hammers came to salvaging a draw ahead of the second-leg next Thursday. Bowen had hit the post with a great first-half break, before Said Benrahma came off the bench and grazed the woodwork with a dipping shot from range.
History only offers one previous European encounter to inspire West Ham’s turnaround at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League, however. The Irons have rarely played a German side during their continental runs. But their last final appearance in 1976 can be the muse.
West Ham will aim to repeat 1976 Cup Winners’ Cup run vs Eintracht Frankfurt
West Ham last played a major European final in the 1976 Cup Winners’ Cup, during which they also faced Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals. The Irons edged Finnish outfit Reipas Lahti, Armenian side Ararat Yerevan and Dutch club Den Haag to advance to the final four.
But their path to a final in Brussels against Anderlecht started on rocky territory after a 2-1 defeat in Germany. Eintracht Frankfurt took a first-leg lead after coming from behind after Graham Paddon’s 30-yard rocket put the visiting Irons ahead from Trevor Brooking’s pass.
The run of play remained with Die Adler, though, and Willi Neuberger fired in an equaliser after 28 minutes. Wolfgang Kraus later handed his West German outfit the advantage, but after Billy Jennings and before Pat Holland had goals chalked off for offside and a handball.
Heavy rain then met Eintracht Frankfurt as they visited West Ham at the Boleyn Ground two weeks later. But the officials considered the sodden pitch playable, much to the Irons’ joy as the Hammers completed their comeback to reach the final after a 3-1 second-leg victory.
Die Adler repelled the Irons’ advances throughout the first-half, but Brooking found a way through four minutes into the second-half. He leapt to meet Frank Lampard’s curling cross and later had a brace, but after assisting Keith Robson who thumped into the top corner.
Brooking beautifully cut inside past an Eintracht Frankfurt defender with one touch to put West Ham further ahead on aggregate. A goal they needed to avoid extra-time, as Klaus Beverungen pulled one back for the away side with only three minutes left on the clock.
David Moyes has one piece of Irons history to inspire Europa League comeback
Moyes now needs his West Ham side to take inspiration from the 1976 Hammers squad that came from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt and reach the Cup Winners’ Cup final. The 4-3 aggregate win is their only result over a German side they can use as inspiration.
West Ham have also faced Borussia Dortmund and FC Magdeburg in two-legged European fixtures. However, their 1966 clash with BVB was the end of the Irons’ Cup Winners’ Cup run in the semi-finals after losing 2-1 at home then suffering a 3-1 defeat at the Rote Erde.
The Hammers had beaten Magdeburg in the quarter-finals of the 1966 Cup Winners’ Cup. West Ham advanced to meet Borussia Dortmund after taking a 1-0 win over the then-East German side at the Boleyn Ground through Johnny Byrne before drawing 1-1 on the road.
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