West Ham United take on AEK Larnaca as they welcome them to London Stadium on Sunday to seal the deal and advance further in the Europa League. The Hammers recorded an excellent 2-0 victory over AEK Larnaca in the first leg of the Europa League round of sixteen, so we can expect them to perform better this weekend.
David Moyes would probably opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a few changes to the starting XI. Danny Ings could drop to the bench to make way for Gianluca Scamacca, while Flynn Downes replaces Thoams Soucek in the central areas.
4-2-3-1 West Ham United Predicted XI Vs AEK Larnaca
Defence
Alphonso Areola will function in goal for West Ham as he looks to secure a clean sheet at home. Nayef Aguerd will play alongside Angelo Ogbonna at the centre of Moyes’ defence as they try to keep things solid at the back during the game.
Ben Johnson could get a chance to impress as the right-back, while Aaron Cresswell hopes to give a good account of himself on the other flank as the left-back. Both of them could get the license to get forward and express themselves in the Larnaca half.
Kurt Zouma will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.
Midfield
Declan Rice and Flynn Downes will anchor the midfield for the Hammers as they focus on dominating the battle at the centre of the park. They would both have to move the ball well and engineer some decent opportunities for their teammates to score.
The talented trio of Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen will operate just ahead of them as part of West Ham’s attack. Both Benrahma and Bowen have to find a way to get in behind the opponent’s backline so that they can create enough chances for their side to win the contest.
Manuel Lanzini and Lucas Paqueta will be available for selection on the bench as they wait for their chance to shine in the second half if required.
Attack
Gianluca Scamacca could get a chance to spearhead Moyes’ attack up top. He would be desperate to get his name on the scoresheet and make a difference for the Hammers in the final third.
Michail Antonio remains unavailable due to injury, but Danny Ings could take a spot on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if West Ham are in need of a goal by then.
