Tomas Soucek's Late Heroics Propel West Ham into Europa League Knockout Stages

In a lackluster encounter against Backa Topola, Tomas Soucek once again emerged as the savior for West Ham with a late strike, securing a 1-0 victory and ensuring the team’s progression to the Europa League knockout stages. Soucek’s 89th-minute volley marked his fifth consecutive match with a goal for both club and country.

Despite the Serbian snooze-fest, West Ham’s faithful, with around 320 dedicated fans making the lengthy 2,000-mile journey to the Balkans, witnessed Soucek’s decisive contribution. The match, played at the TSC Arena, saw a sleepy start for West Ham, and the absence of injured forwards Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio prompted the inclusion of 19-year-old Divin Mubama in the starting lineup.

However, Mubama struggled to make an impact as the hosts, coming off a 4-0 win over Super League leaders Partizan, showed early confidence. Lukasz Fabianski made crucial saves, including one from Uros Milovanovic and another from Aleksandar Cirkovic, following an error from Aaron Cresswell.

West Ham’s first shot on target came from Saïd Benrahma after half an hour, but the tepid first half was aptly described by former player Joe Cole as “dross” and “appalling.”

Manager David Moyes made strategic substitutions in the second half, bringing in Danny Ings and Maxwel Cornet to inject energy into the team. As stoppage time approached, Cornet delivered a crucial cross from the left, setting up Soucek for a powerful volley that secured West Ham’s victory.

While this match may not be remembered as a classic, it marked West Ham’s 18th win in 20 European matches over the past three seasons, underlining their solid performance in continental competitions. The focus now shifts to the upcoming clash against Freiburg at the London Stadium, where West Ham aims to secure the top spot in the group and avoid a two-legged playoff in February.