Preview: Genk vs. West Ham United - prediction, team news, lineups

West Ham United's European journey continues on Thursday when they travel to face Genk where they shall be aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to Group H.

On the other hand, the hosts currently sit bottom after consecutive defeats, but a victory in midweek could take them into the top two.

Match preview

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Genk kickstarted the Europa League with confidence by defeating Rapid Wien 1-0, but that has since been followed up by two defeats which have sunk them to the bottom of Group H.

Both of those games resulted in 3-0 losses, with Dinamo Zagreb and West Ham United picking up points comfortably against them, which is something that John van den Brom would like to change.

The last meeting between these teams saw the Hammers perform dominantly, with goals from Craig Dawson, Issa Diop and Jarrod Bowen helping to secure the victory.

However, since that fixture, Genk have won every game that they have played, doing so with real flair and attacking prowess, which should have instilled some confidence into the squad.

The past three matches have seen the team score 12 goals, showcasing their ability in front of goal which needs to be transferred into this competition, where they have found the back of the net just once.

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West Ham United have also won every game they have played since their last Europa League fixture, and there have been some important results in that time for the Hammers.

David Moyes guided his team to a derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur, while they also knocked Manchester City out of the EFL Cup, which was most recently followed up by a 4-1 win against Aston Villa.

Four different players got themselves on the scoresheet on Sunday, showcasing the different attacking options that the club have got, and after only being beaten twice all season, there is no shortage of confidence within the squad.

In the Europa League, the Hammers have performed perfectly, winning all three group games so far and if they extend that run to four, they could seal their progression into the knockout stage as early as this week.

Moyes has yet to see his team concede a goal in the competition, which is a testament to how defensively solid they have been, and facing a team short of goals in Group H will potentially see that continue.

Team News

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Genk will once again be without Daniel Munoz as he serves the last game of his suspension, and that will provide an opportunity for Angelo Preciado to step in and play at right-back.

Aside from that, there might not be too many changes to the team that won 6-2 on Sunday, and with no travel to contend with, the team should benefit from being slightly sharper.

For West Ham, this could be an opportunity to shake the pack a little, with Vladimir Coufal potentially earning his first start since returning from injury in the EFL Cup.

However, with Ben Johnson finding the back of the net on Sunday, he might have done enough to prove to Moyes that he deserves to keep his place in the squad.

Michail Antonio will lead the line for the club, while Alex Kral could be given the chance to play following his isolation due to COVID-19.

Mark Noble is also an option for the Hammers as he did not feature in the Premier League at the weekend, with the experienced midfielder being fresh for this game.

Genk possible starting lineup:
Vandervoordt; Arteaga, Lucumi, Sadick, Preciado; Heynen, Hrosovsky, Thorstvedt; Paintsil, Ito, Onuachu

West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals; Antonio

We say: Genk 0-2 West Ham United

Genk might have the home advantage in this game, but it is West Ham United with all of the confidence and momentum behind them which should prove to be enough to secure the victory.

The Hammers are yet to concede a goal in the tournament and that record could also end up continuing here, with the Premier League outfit putting in some brilliant performances as of late.

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