est Ham take to the pitch in a European final for the first time in 47 years as they face Fiorentina on Wednesday night.
The Europa Conference League has been a welcome distraction from Premier League woes for much of the season for David Moyes and his players, but it now presents West Ham with a huge opportunity to win their first major trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 1980.
It will be the Hammers’ 15th European game of the campaign, a run spanning almost ten months, and victory will earn them a spot in the Europa League next season.
Fiorentina finished the Serie A season in eighth, meaning they too are relying on victory here to secure European football when the new season comes around. The Italian side have seen off the likes of Braga and Lech Poznan to reach the final.
Date, kick-off time and venue
The Europa Conference League final is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off tonight on Wednesday June 7, 2023.
The match will take place at the Eden Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
Where to watch Fiorentina vs West Ham
TV channel: In the UK, the final will be broadcast live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate, with coverage getting underway at 6:30pm BST ahead of an 8pm kick-off time.
BT have also announced that the match, along with the Champions League final this weekend, will be made available to watch for free via their website and YouTube channel.
Live stream: A free live stream will be available online via the BT Sport website and YouTube channel.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, featuring expert analysis from Malik Ouzia at the ground.
Fiorentina vs West Ham team news
Fiorentina are not believed to have any significant injury concerns to deal with, having made a number of changes domestically in recent weeks to keep players fit for the final.
Arthur Cabral should lead the line, with Nicolas Gonzalez pushing for a start after his brace in the semi-final win over Basel.
Declan Rice will feature for what is likely to be the final time in a West Ham shirt, before he makes the expected big-money move away from the London Stadium this summer. Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek will both be desperate to start back in the Czech Republic.
Alphonse Areola is set to once again get the nod in goal, while Moyes has confirmed that Gianluca Scamacca will not be available.
Farewell: This will likely be Declan Rice’s final match for West Ham
/ Getty ImagesFiorentina vs West Ham prediction
As seen in the Europa League final last week, these kind of matches rarely produce end-to-end, exciting football.
That is not likely to be the type of game David Moyes wants anyway, with his West Ham side reaching the final with a more pragmatic approach against AZ Alkmaar in the last-four.
A tense, nervy encounter can be expected, with the Hammers potentially just edging it to round off the season in memorable fashion.
West Ham to win, 1-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
These two clubs have met twice before, back in 1975 in the Anglo-Italian League Cup. West Ham lost both matches 1-0.
Fiorentina vs West Ham match odds
Fiorentina to lift the trophy: 10/11
West Ham to lift the trophy: 10/11
Draw (in 90 minutes): 2/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
