Match ends, AZ 0, West Ham United 1.
AZ AlkmaarAZ Alkmaar0West HamWest Ham United1
West Ham United reached their first major European final since 1976 after they overcame AZ Alkmaar in their Europa Conference League semi-final.
Having won the first leg at London Stadium 2-1, the Hammers were resolute away to their Dutch opponents, reaching the final in Prague on 7 June with a 1-0 second-leg win.
David Moyes' side soaked up plenty of pressure at AFAS Stadium until Pablo Fornals scored on the counter-attack in second-half injury time.
The night, however, was soured by unpleasant scenes off the pitch.
AZ Alkmaar fans attacked an area in which friends and family of the West Ham players were watching the match.
West Ham will face Fiorentina, who beat Basel in extra time in the other semi-final.
The Hammers are hoping to lift their first major trophy since they lifted the 1980 FA Cup; they were one of three winners of the 1999 Intertoto Cup.
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Hammers end 47-year wait for final
West Ham's last European final had been in the 1975-76 Cup Winners' Cup when they lost 4-2 to Anderlecht.
They came agonisingly close to breaking that duck last season, losing 3-1 on aggregate to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals.
This time around they were disciplined, keeping their hosts at arm's length for much of their second leg.
Paqueta clipped the outside of the post in the 26th minute after good work from Michail Antonio, while captain Declan Rice forced a good save from AZ keeper Mat Ryan shortly after the restart.
Defender Nayef Aguerd also dragged an effort wide from close range in the 82nd minute, before Pablo Fornals raced clear in injury time and buried the ball into the bottom corner to seal the tie.
It means the Hammers have an opportunity to win a first European trophy since they lifted the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965.
It would cap off a fine turnaround for Moyes' side, who were booed by their own fans on 5 April when they suffered a 5-1 home defeat by Newcastle to leave them just a point clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
The Hammers are 15th in the table with two games left, and need just a point across their final two league games to mathematically confirm their safety.
AZ second-best against mighty West Ham
Eredivisie side AZ were in their first European semi-final since losing to Sporting Lisbon in the last four of the 2004-05 Uefa Cup.
The 1981 Uefa Cup finalists had enjoyed an impressive European run, beating Lazio in the last 16 and coming from two goals down to beat Anderlecht on penalties in the quarter-finals.
They threw everything at West Ham in the closing stages - and Hammers defender Thilo Kehrer nearly caught out keeper Alphonse Areola with a risky back-pass.
And defender Kurt Zouma was relieved not to have been penalised for a handball in the area, with the video assistant referee deciding not to overturn Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak's non-penalty call.
Despite opening the scoring in London last week, AZ slumped to a 3-1 aggregate defeat. They need one more point from their final two league fixtures to secure a top-four finish and qualify for next season's Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Player of the match
FornalsPablo Fornals
with an average of 8.80
AZ Alkmaar
Avg
- Squad number1Player nameRyanAverage rating
5.33
- Squad number31Player nameBeukemaAverage rating
5.15
- Squad number16Player nameMijnansAverage rating
4.90
- Squad number5Player nameKerkezAverage rating
4.86
- Squad number11Player nameKarlssonAverage rating
4.84
- Squad number8Player nameClasieAverage rating
4.83
- Squad number2Player nameSugawaraAverage rating
4.81
- Squad number3Player nameHatzidiakosAverage rating
4.76
- Squad number9Player namePavlidisAverage rating
4.74
- Squad number6Player nameReijndersAverage rating
4.68
- Squad number35Player nameMeerdinkAverage rating
4.60
- Squad number19Player namevan BrederodeAverage rating
4.52
- Squad number34Player namede WitAverage rating
4.46
- Squad number10Player namede WitAverage rating
4.41
- Squad number23Player nameLahdoAverage rating
4.23
West Ham United
Avg
- Squad number8Player nameFornalsAverage rating
8.80
- Squad number11Player nameLucas PaquetáAverage rating
8.53
- Squad number41Player nameRiceAverage rating
8.32
- Squad number27Player nameAguerdAverage rating
8.20
- Squad number9Player nameAntonioAverage rating
8.15
- Squad number4Player nameZoumaAverage rating
8.12
- Squad number13Player nameAréolaAverage rating
8.11
- Squad number24Player nameKehrerAverage rating
7.98
- Squad number18Player nameIngsAverage rating
7.95
- Squad number22Player nameBenrahmaAverage rating
7.89
- Squad number28Player nameSoucekAverage rating
7.88
- Squad number3Player nameCresswellAverage rating
7.81
- Squad number20Player nameBowenAverage rating
7.79
- Squad number12Player nameDownesAverage rating
7.62
Line-ups
AZ Alkmaar
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Ryan
- 2Sugawara
- 31Beukema
- 3Hatzidiakos
- 5KerkezSubstituted forde Witat 85'minutes
- 16MijnansSubstituted forde Witat 70'minutes
- 8Clasie
- 6Reijnders
- 19van BrederodeSubstituted forLahdoat 78'minutes
- 9Pavlidis
- 11KarlssonSubstituted forMeerdinkat 85'minutes
Substitutes
- 10de Wit
- 12Verhulst
- 14Mihailovic
- 23Lahdo
- 25Bazoer
- 27Vanheusden
- 28Buurmeester
- 34de Wit
- 35Meerdink
- 46Goes
- 54Deen
West Ham
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Aréola
- 24KehrerBooked at 64mins
- 4Zouma
- 27Aguerd
- 3Cresswell
- 28SoucekBooked at 60mins
- 41Rice
- 11Lucas PaquetáSubstituted forDownesat 90+5'minutes
- 20Bowen
- 9AntonioSubstituted forIngsat 85'minutes
- 22BenrahmaSubstituted forFornalsat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Fabianski
- 2Johnson
- 5Coufal
- 8Fornals
- 10Lanzini
- 12Downes
- 14Cornet
- 18Ings
- 21Ogbonna
- 33Emerson
- 49Anang
- 72Mubama
- Referee:
- Ivan Kruzliak
- Attendance:
- 19,000
Match Stats
Home TeamAZ AlkmaarAway TeamWest Ham
- Possession
- Home70%
- Away30%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away6
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, AZ 0, West Ham United 1.
Post update
Foul by Sam Beukema (AZ).
Post update
Kurt Zouma (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Flynn Downes replaces Lucas Paquetá.
Goal!
Goal! AZ 0, West Ham United 1. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury Alphonse Aréola (West Ham United).
Post update
Foul by Mexx Meerdink (AZ).
Post update
Alphonse Aréola (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, AZ. Mexx Meerdink replaces Jesper Karlsson.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Danny Ings replaces Michail Antonio.
Substitution
Substitution, AZ. Mees de Wit replaces Milos Kerkez.
Post update
Hand ball by Jesper Karlsson (AZ).
Post update
Attempt missed. Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Tomás Soucek.
Post update
Attempt missed. Tomás Soucek (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Michail Antonio.
Post update
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Sam Beukema.
Post update
Foul by Vangelis Pavlidis (AZ).
Post update
Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Yukinari Sugawara (AZ) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Comments
Join the conversation
Well done Moyesey.
Go and win it now.
From a City fan.
From a Spurs Fan
Euro final
Millwall still in Championship
Kane to leave Spurs
Season has turned out alright in the end..
😃😃😃
Great goal and hope you guys go on to win it.
Pleased for DM, it would have been so easy to swing the axe (like many others did) when things were not going well, but the club stuck with him & now they are safe & in a euro final.
No PL pressure, so just GO WIN IT !!
Really proud Hammer!
It’s been a dreadful season, but this could turn it all around!
We may even keep hold of Rice if we can somehow get European football next season.
My request to all my fellow Englishmen, please put your rivalries aside and support us in the final!
Hopefully an English double 🤞
COYI
What a finish from Pablo. Love that guy.🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧 COYI ⚒️
Magnificent achievement.