Backa Topola 0-1 West Ham United: Tomas Soucek scores as Hammers progress to Europa League knockout stages
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Tomas Soucek scored another late winner as West Ham secured their place in the Europa League knockout stage at Serbian side Backa Topola.
It had been a turgid display from David Moyes’ side with only one shot on target until Soucek met Maxwel Cornet’s cross for his fifth goal in his past five games for club and country.
He has scored in three successive West Ham games for the first time, with each a winning goal, and coming later than the 88th minute.
Soucek’s goal means West Ham have scored in 20 successive European games, winning 18 and losing only once.
It leaves Moyes’ side top of Group A and they only need a point against Freiburg on 14 December to earn top spot, and avoid a play-off in February against a side finishing third in their Champions League group.
“We’re thrilled at West Ham that we’re going to play in Europe after Christmas time for the third season,” said Moyes.
“Even playing Freiburg in the last game to win the group is hugely important. But I’d have taken this at the start of the season. If you’d said we’ll finish second I’d have taken that.
“Freiburg are a good side and we are going to have to play well.”
Hammers’ squad depth to be tested
West Ham have had plenty of famous European nights over the past two years.
Despite the late winner, this will not go down as one of them.
Their performance was often slow and ponderous, likely down to the seven changes Moyes had made from their Premier League win at Burnley on Saturday.
This match marked the start of a run of 10 games, in three competitions, between now and the end of the year, so the below-par performance may concern Moyes, with his squad depth likely to be used throughout that period.
Injuries to influential duo Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio are damaging and they need more from other senior players.
Said Benrahma had the sole shot on target before the goal, but was quiet, and Danny Ings, who came off the bench halfway through the second half, is currently on the longest goal drought of his career, at 24 games.
Cornet was another introduction off the bench, and his cross for the winner was delightful, and he, and Moyes, will be hoping this is a moment that sparks his West Ham career.
After being Europa League semi-finalists in 2022 and winning the Europa Conference League last season, a third successive season in European knockout football represents further progress for Moyes, but it may leave questions about the options West Ham have at their disposal.
“We made a few changes, some with illness, we were always going to try some other players tonight to give them game time,” added Moyes.
“We scored two late goals to beat Burnley and as a manager sometimes it’s good to win a game late.”
Player of the match
SoucekTomás Soucek
Backa Topola
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Squad number12Player nameIlic
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Squad number29Player nameCvetkovic
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Squad number88Player nameSós
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Squad number18Player nameStojic
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Squad number30Player namePetrovic
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Squad number4Player nameCalusic
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Squad number7Player nameRadin
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Squad number35Player nameDakovac
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Squad number17Player nameAntonic
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Squad number32Player nameCirkovic
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Squad number9Player nameMilovanovic
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Squad number21Player nameKuveljic
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Squad number37Player nameVulic
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Squad number27Player namePantovic
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Squad number77Player nameVlalukin
West Ham United
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Squad number28Player nameSoucek
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Squad number7Player nameWard-Prowse
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Squad number8Player nameFornals
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Squad number45Player nameMubama
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Squad number1Player nameFabianski
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Squad number10Player nameLucas Paquetá
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Squad number17Player nameCornet
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Squad number15Player nameMavropanos
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Squad number27Player nameAguerd
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Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
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Squad number33Player nameEmerson
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Squad number2Player nameJohnson
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Squad number24Player nameKehrer
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Squad number3Player nameCresswell
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Squad number18Player nameIngs
Line-ups
Backa Topola
Formation 5-3-2
- 12Ilic
- 29Cvetkovic
- 17Antonic
- 18Stojic
- 4CalusicBooked at 63mins
- 30PetrovicBooked at 45mins
- 35Dakovac
- 7RadinSubstituted forVulicat 77′minutes
- 21KuveljicSubstituted forVlalukinat 76′minutes
- 9MilovanovicSubstituted forPantovicat 77′minutes
- 32CirkovicSubstituted forSósat 86′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Simic
- 10Mirchevski
- 23Jorgic
- 27Pantovic
- 37Vulic
- 44Krstic
- 77Vlalukin
- 88Sós
- 97Rakonjac
West Ham
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Fabianski
- 2JohnsonSubstituted forKehrerat 79′minutes
- 15Mavropanos
- 27Aguerd
- 3CresswellSubstituted forEmersonat 79′minutesBooked at 87mins
- 7Ward-Prowse
- 28Soucek
- 10Lucas Paquetá
- 8FornalsBooked at 55mins
- 45MubamaSubstituted forIngsat 67′minutes
- 22BenrahmaSubstituted forCornetat 67′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Zouma
- 17Cornet
- 18Ings
- 21Ogbonna
- 23Areola
- 24Kehrer
- 32Coventry
- 33Emerson
- 49Anang
- 51Chesters
- 57Scarles
- 61Orford
Live Text
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Match ends, Backa Topola 0, West Ham United 1.
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Second Half ends, Backa Topola 0, West Ham United 1.
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Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Goran Antonic.
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Tomás Soucek (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Milos Vulic (Backa Topola).
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Attempt saved. Tomás Soucek (West Ham United) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pablo Fornals.
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Goal! Backa Topola 0, West Ham United 1. Tomás Soucek (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Maxwel Cornet with a cross.
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Emerson (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Emerson (West Ham United).
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Jovan Vlalukin (Backa Topola) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Substitution, Backa Topola. Bence Sós replaces Aleksandar Cirkovic because of an injury.
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Hand ball by Maxwel Cornet (West Ham United).
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Substitution, West Ham United. Emerson replaces Aaron Cresswell.
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Substitution, West Ham United. Thilo Kehrer replaces Ben Johnson.
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Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Milos Cvetkovic (Backa Topola).
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Offside, Backa Topola. Josip Calusic is caught offside.
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Substitution, Backa Topola. Milos Vulic replaces Milan Radin.
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Substitution, Backa Topola. Milos Pantovic replaces Uros Milovanovic.
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Substitution, Backa Topola. Jovan Vlalukin replaces Nikola Kuveljic.
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