Match preview - FC Lusitans

All the need to know information ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League game

Welcome to FC Lusitans!

El West Ham United dóna la benvinguda en aquesta primera ronda classificatòria de la UEFA Europa League als membres de la Junta, al personal, als jugadors i als seguidors del FC Lusitans a l'estadi  Boleyn Ground.

El partit d'aquesta nit marca un moment emocionant i històric per a tots dos clubs i ens sentim orgullosos de compartir-ho amb vosaltres.

Esperem que tingueu una agradable estada a Londres i us desitgem un bon viatge de tornada a Andorra.
Gaudiu del partit!
 

The background

West Ham United take their first steps into European competition for nine years on Thursday when they welcome Andorran side FC Lusitans to the Boleyn Ground for a UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first leg tie.

The Hammers last featured at continental level in a short-lived UEFA Cup campaign in 2006/07, when Italian side Palermo triumphed 4-0 on aggregate against the east Londoners at the first round stage.

On that occasion West Ham qualified for the competition by finishing as FA Cup runners-up, while this time around their position at the head of the Barclays Premier League’s Fair Play League was enough to gain entry to the Europa League at this early stage.

Slaven Bilic’s men are among 102 sides who debut in this round, with West Ham the top seeds. Their opponents qualified by virtue of finishing second in the Andorra Primera Divisao and are searching for their first win in Europe.

They were defeated 7-3 on aggregate by Faroese side EB/Streymur in their last European tie – a 2013/14 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match – while eight European fixtures have brought them seven defeats and a draw.

The history

West Ham are emarking on their seventh European campaign this year, having competed four times in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and twice in the UEFA Cup previously.

Their glory days in Europe have come in the Cup Winners’ Cup, with a title to the Club’s name in 1964/65, as well as an appearance in the 1975/76 final and 1965/66 semi-finals.

More recently, the battled through three rounds of the UEFA Intertoto Cup to earn a spot in the UEFA Cup, where they defeated Croatian outfit Osijek before the run was ended by Steaua Bucharest.

Lusitans’ European pedigree is more limited. Founded in 1999, they soon progressed to the top of Andorran football and won the title in both 2011/12 and 2012/13, They have appeared in the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League twice before, exiting in the first qualifying round on all four occasions.

Team news

West Ham United

Academy Manager Terry Westley, who will be in the dugout for this fixture, has already named his team, with Darren Randolph debuting in goal. Joey O’Brien, James Tomkins, Reece Burke and Lewis Page will play across the back, with Matt Jarvis, Diego Poyet, Reece Oxford and Morgan Amalfitano in front of them. Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zarate will lead the line up front.

That means first team debuts for Page and Oxford, who at 16 years and 198 days old will become the Club’s youngest ever players.  There is also a return for Mauro Zarate following his loan at Queens Park Rangers, while James Tomkins captains the team.

FC Lusitans

The Andorrans’ squad contains their country’s most experienced international in Oscar Sonejee, who possesses 101 caps. Other notable players include defender Edu Moya, who played in the Spanish top flight for Recreativo de Huelva between 2006-08, and Sierra Leone international Alfi Conteh-Lacalle, who came through the Barcelona academy. His manager Xavi Roura was also a product of Barca.

Match facts

  • The match officials for Thursday’s game are all from Latvia. Vadims Direktorenko, 34, is the man with the whistle.
  • Three West Ham United players will make their debuts for the Club on Thursday – Darren Randolph, Lewis Page and Reece Oxford.
  • Lusitans have conceded 33 goals in their eight matches in European competition, hitting the net four times themselves.
  • Three of those four goals came in their last tie, a 7-3 aggregate defeat to EB/Streymur in which they held a 2-0 lead at one point.
  • They won twelve of their 20 league games last season, scoring an impressive 53 goals in the process.

Betting

The Club’s Principal Partner Betway have over 100 markets on the game. Check out their betting preview here.

Tickets, Travel, Weather & TV Coverage

  • Standard tickets for this game have SOLD OUT. However, a limited number of hospitality packages remain. Click here for full details.
  • whufc.com will be streaming the game exclusively live and free! Full details can be found here.
  • No closures are planned on the Underground lines serving Upton Park. At present, a good service is also anticipated on Greater Anglia and c2c services.
  • Sunny intervals are expected around time of kick-off, with temperatures of 23C/73F
  • Please be aware that alcohol will not be sold at the concourse concessions in accordance with UEFA regulations.