West Ham are back in Europa League action against Lyon tonight.
There is a sense of real occasion once again at London Stadium as another sold-out crowd prepares to witness the Hammers’ first European quarter-final tie since 1981.
West Ham will be hoping for a repeat of last month’s heroics, when Andriy Yarmolenko’s extra-time effort secured an unforgettable 2-1 aggregate victory over six-time Europa League winners Sevilla in the last-16.
Here, Standard Sport’s Jack Rosser looks at three key talking points for David Moyes’ side in what is one of the biggest matches in the club’s history.
Counter threat
Lyon are no strangers to the European stage, but the French side are struggling domestically this season. Peter Bosz is battling to prevent a first finish outside the top 10 since 1996, and defensive frailties have been a constant problem.
Lyon are particularly susceptible to the counter-attack, and West Ham will fancy their chances of doing the same tonight.
Manage the occasion
West Ham played with freedom in their remarkable second leg against Sevilla last month, but tonight is a very different occasion. This first leg is at home, and they must keep their emotions in check.
The atmosphere will be rocking and, they hope, suffocating for Lyon, but manager David Moyes has urged his players to keep their heads and manage the game well.
Dangerman Tete
David Moyes hinted at frustration that Lyon could call on Tete, an emergency loan signing from Shakhtar Donetsk. English clubs are blocked from making such deals, but Ligue 1 have not stopped their clubs.
The Brazilian has added to the attacking threat of Houssem Aouar and Tanguy Ndombele and scored their weekend winner two minutes after coming on.
