West Ham could not dedicate a win to David Moyes in the 1,000th game of his coaching career, but the 2-2 he won during his visit to Genk, thanks to a fabulous double from Said Benrahma, keeps him as the outstanding leader of Group H of the Europa League.
The ‘hammers’, fourth in the Premier, played a bad first half but, after coming back, in the last moments they let their full of triumphs in the continental competition escape. Even so, they already add 10 points in 4 rounds to 4 of Genk, while Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna, both with 3, face next.
Moyes, with an alternative defense that makes waters
Moyes introduced many novelties in the lineup, especially in defense with the usual substitutes Vladimir Coufal, Issa Diop and Craig Dawson, and West Ham had a lot of difficulties, especially in the first half, losing many balls in the delivery against an impetuous Genk .
The ‘hammers’ jumped onto the field without proper concentration and were overcome by the outpouring of the Belgians, who opened the scoring already in minute 4 with a good deep pass from the Japanese Junya Ito who took advantage of the Ghanaian Joseph Paintsil, more ready than Issa Diop, to cross before the exit of Alphonse Areola.
West Ham’s first goal
It was the first goal that West Ham conceded in the current edition of the Europa League after finishing unbeaten in the previous three days and Areola, who started today in place of Lukasz Fabianski, saved him from receiving many more by lavishing several saves in the first half. .
The French goal, on loan from PSG, lavished two consecutive saves in the 9th minute to get two heads from Bryan Heynen and Paul Onuachu in two corners.
The Gnek, with clear ideas
Genk had it clear and put West Ham in trouble time and again by going up quickly when they recovered the ball due to the turnovers of the London defense.
However, the Belgians lacked success in the shot, as in the 21st minute, Paintsil went to the right and instead of finishing the heads-up with Areola, he wanted to give the goal to Ito, who hit the ball badly and finished off.
Areola avoids more goals
Areola frustrated Paintsil on two other occasions in the 31st and 43rd minutes, this time in a counter after West Ham showed an improvement in attack, forcing Belgian goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt in the previous action to providentially avoid the 1-1 by deflecting a shot coming from behind Benrahma after center from the left of Arthur Masuaku.
Just before the break it was Czech Patrik Hrosovsky who saved Genk by taking a shot from Michail Antonio that Vandevoordt did not touch enough.
Benrahma leads the reaction and draws with great detail
West Ham came out with a different attitude in the resumption, went on to dominate the game at the hands of an outstanding Benrahma and drew in the 59th minute in their first dangerous arrival just seconds after Pablo Fornals, Jarred Bowen and Tomas Soucek entered. a triple change. Manuel Lanzini threw Coufal down the right and his center was finished off by the Algerian midfielder.
The winger Coufal continued to strike on his wing and made it 1-2 with a cross shot that licked the post (70 ‘). Finally Benrahma completed his great performance setting the 1-2. He received, left Mujaid Sadick throwing a car pass with a superb technical detail and shot the short stick with a toe that slipped between Vandevoordt’s legs.
Soucek’s Autogol
Already in desperation, Genk avoided defeat in a lucky move in the 88th minute as the Ecuadorian Angelo Preciado, as soon as he jumped onto the field, reached the bottom line after hitting a wall and his center was headed by Tomas Soucek towards his own goal at the first post.