Fiorentina vs West Ham United prediction, odds and betting tips
Fiorentina and West Ham United will contest the 2023 Europa Conference League final on Wednesday night.
Fiorentina vs West Ham United odds
Here are the latest match odds for the Conference League final between Fiorentina and West Ham United.
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Fiorentina vs West Ham United predictions
When UEFA decided to create the Europa Conference League, it did so with teams like these two in mind.
This is not a tournament for the continent’s elite. An appearance for Real Madrid, Manchester United or Bayern Munich would lead to noses being turned up - with some justification.
But for mid-ranking sides right across Europe, the Conference League has been a major success. Just ask fans of Fiorentina and West Ham.
Neither team is used to being on a stage like this. Fiorentina have not won a trophy since a Coppa Italia success in 2001. They reached the final of that competition this season but lost to Inter. Meanwhile their solitary piece of European silverware came in the form of the Cup Winners’ Cup obtained in 1961.
West Ham also scooped that prize with a team containing Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst in 1965. Their most recent trophy was an FA Cup 43 years ago.
It is not an exaggeration, then, to say that Wednesday’s final will go down in the history books of whichever side comes out on top.
Fiorentina finished eighth in Serie A this season, narrowly missing out on European qualification. West Ham, somewhat surprisingly, spent much of the Premier League campaign fighting relegation, but they ultimately finished six points above the dreaded dotted line.
Both teams’ seasons will be defined by this game in Prague. Will Fiorentina or West Ham be celebrating when the final whistle sounds?
Fiorentina vs West Ham United betting tips
There is little to choose between these two teams, so do not be surprised if the Europa Conference League final goes all the way.
Draw - 11/5 (Spreadex)
The bookmakers, for good reason, believe these two teams are evenly matched. Spreadex make Fiorentina the narrow favourites at 9/5, just ahead of West Ham at 7/4.
Fiorentina certainly enjoyed a more consistent league campaign. Vincenzo Italiano is widely regarded as one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in the Italian game.
His side plays an attractive brand of football. In Serie A only Napoli posted a higher average possession in 2022/23, while Fiorentina ranked third in the division for shots per game.
We can expect la Viola to have more of the ball in this match. Even though they brought in a higher standard of player last summer, West Ham remain a counter-attacking team first and foremost.
The pattern of Wednesday’s final is therefore easy to predict. The outcome, less so.
At a price of 9/4 the draw looks like good value. Because this is a one-legged final, both teams will play with a degree of caution.
If the scores are level with 20 minutes left on the clock, neither Fiorentina nor West Ham is likely to go all-out for a winner.
European finals tend to be tight affairs. The Europa League showpiece between Roma and Sevilla went to penalties last week.
Last season’s Champions League final saw Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0. The same scoreline in the 2022 Europa Conference League showpiece brought Roma victory over Feyenoord.
Given there is little to choose between Fiorentina and West Ham, extra time is a distinct possibility.
Under 2.5 goals - 8/11 (Unibet)
As noted above, European finals are usually low-scoring contests. For instance, the last three Champions League finals all finished 1-0. Each of the last four have featured two goals or fewer.
Under 2.5 goals therefore looks like a sensible selection in this one.
It would be inaccurate to characterise David Moyes as a defensive coach, but he is certainly someone who prizes solidity and organisation in big games.
Without those two qualities, West Ham will likely come unstuck on Wednesday given Fiorentina are the superior footballing side.
Equally, la Viola will be aware of the attacking threats their opponents possess. Michail Antonio is a physical, powerful centre-forward. If he and Jarrod Bowen are afforded too much space to break into, West Ham will cause Fiorentina problems.
It is interesting to note that four of West Ham’s six away games in this competition have had under 2.5 goals. Their formula on the road in Europe is to keep things tight and then go on the counter-attack.
Fiorentina have been much more attacking on their travels, but the high-stakes nature of this match could see them temper their approach somewhat.
Arthur Cabral to score any time - 29/10 (William Hill)
Both of these sides entered the tournament in the qualification play-offs, so they have been present almost from the start.
Fiorentina have played one more game than West Ham because they finished second in their group, necessitating their involvement in the knockout stage play-offs.
Arthur Cabral is the joint-top scorer in the competition with seven goals to his name. That puts him level with Zeki Amdouni of Basel, even though the Fiorentina forward has played 217 fewer minutes.
Cabral was heavily linked with a move to West Ham in January 2022, only to join Fiorentina instead. The Brazilian has saved his best form for Europe and he will now be keen to make his mark in the final.
Given his track record, Cabral is the likeliest goalscorer at the Fortuna Arena on Wednesday.
How to watch Fiorentina vs West Ham United
- Location: Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Date and time: Wednesday 7 June 2023, 8pm.
- How to watch: BT Sport 1, BT Sport YouTube.
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