Sports Blog 16/07/2015: Europa League 2015/16 Qualifying Preview –West Ham vs Birkirkara, Thursday 16th July 2015

For those fans that just can’t wait for the start of the football season proper there is a treat tonight, as West Ham host the Maltese Birkirkara in the 2nd round of Europa League qualifying.

With a new coach in the form of Slaven Bilic, West Ham are aiming for the first appearance in a European competition proper since they exited the UEFA Cup in the 1st round in 2006/07 after their losing FA Cup final the season before had sent them rocketing into the continent’s second-tier tournament. There was no such exalted journey to Europe this season, with West Ham effectively sneaking in through the back door by topping the 2014/15 Premier League fair play table.



The Hammers have had a busy transfer window so far, with Bilic attempting to shore up a squad that had started so strongly in the 2014/15 but ended up stuttering its way to a 12th place finish. Carl Jenkinson is back on loan from Arsenal, whilst international Italian defender (well, he has 10 caps and a Euro 2012 runners-up medal) Angelo Ogbonna is joining from Juventus, young Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang is swapping Sampdoria for the East End and French attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet is on his way from Marseille. They also nabbed the unattached Brazil journeyman Nene and have taken goalkeeper Daren Randolph on loan from Birmingham City. Going in the other direction should be Stewart Downing, who after two solid seasons at Upton Park is likely to return to Teeside to the club where he made his name.

The 1st qualifying round caused no trouble for West Ham. The first leg against Lusitanos Upton Park saw a brace from last season’s star signing (at least before his New Year’s injury) Diafra Sakho and a rare goal from James Tomkins, before a trip to Andorra to face the Primera Divisio runners-up at home saw the Hammers seal the deal with a first-club goal for the perpetually on loan youngster Elliot Lee. For West Ham to match their 3-0 first leg home win in Thursday’s game, Spreadex are offering a Correct Score Markets spread for the first leg of 29-32 (where 25 points are awarded for the correct outcome with a 50 point bonus for getting the exact correct score).



This victory over Lusitanos led West Ham to a 2nd qualifying round match against Birkirkara. If you are (justifiably) asking ‘who?’, then here is a crash course on the Maltese Premier League’s 3rd place side! Formed by the shocking merger of Birkirkara United and Birkirkara Celtic in 1950, Birkirkara FC are, according to their club website, the only Maltese side to play in 20 consecutive UEFA competitions. Now, by this the team means they have appeared in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League (and the UEFA Cup before that (and the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup before that)) and on a few occasions the Champions League. However this game against West Ham is only the fourth time they have even reached the 2nd round of qualifying, after beating the Armenian Ulisses 3-1 over 2 legs.

Despite Birkirkara’s long and storied history with the European club competitions, the Hammers shouldn’t have much to worry about, and go into the first leg at a West Ham/Birkirkara Goal Supremacy spread of 3.55-3.75 with a pretty strong Total Goals spread of 4.15-4.45.