West Ham United started the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on a strong note as they scored in the 13th minute. However, they couldn’t build on the momentum to overturn the situation. As a result, they lost the quarter-final round on 1-3 aggregate.
The Hammers will next lock horns with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. They are eight in the points table with no spot to fight for. They still have fixtures remaining against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
4-2-3-1 West Ham United Predicted Lineup Vs Crystal Palace
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski will continue to operate between the sticks for West Ham United. He had no chance of saving the only goal Bayer Leverkusen scored on Thursday. Vladimir Coufal continues to operate as the full right-back in the side.
While Kurt Zouma remains at the heart of the defence, Nayef Aguerd suffered an ankle injury and had to be taken off at half-time in the previous game. Angelo Ogbonna is the front-runner to fill his position for this clash.
Left-back Emerson Palmieri returns after serving the Europa League suspension. It means Aaron Cresswell will be sent to the bench.
Midfield
The centre-back duo of Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez remain intact in the lineup. They should have a more commanding impact on the outcomes of the game.
While Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse retain their respective spots, expect Lucas Paqueta to start on the right wing. The Brazilian attacker was also suspended for the second leg and should walk back into the XI. Mohammed Kudus is likely to make way for him as he wasn’t fully fit and had to take painkiller injections to take onto the field.
Attack
Michail Antonio remains the striker in the lineup. He needs to step up his finishing game in the final third. Other than that, he has been up to the mark for the Hammers.
Kalvin Phillips (thigh), Dinos Mavropanos (knock), Alphonse Areola (groin), and George Earthy( head) are the other notable absentees.