Hammers on a knife-edge as forwards miss out again

It’s advantage Sevilla after good chances go begging in crunch Europa clash

- Jack Rosser

Sevilla 1 Munir 60

West Ham 0

IT IS far too soon to declare this tie over, and West Ham know exactly what they must do to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

David Moyes’s challenge to his players here in Andalusia last night was to step up and match the best sides in this competition, just as they have done domestically.

There could hardly have been a better side to measure up against, with Sevilla having won this competition a record six times. The Hammers rose to the task right until the final, crucial moment, when their finishing let them down.

As has been the case far too often in recent weeks, it was a tale of West Ham having the chances to bury their opponents but letting them pass before being unpicked themselves, this time by a smart set-piece free-kick to set up Munir El Haddadi for the only goal.

Nikola Vlasic, after just 10 minutes, was the worst offender, sending a timid header straight into the hands of Sevilla goalkeeper Bono after a well-worked set-piece of their own led to Declan Rice finding the Croatian just five yards from goal.