How to watch Gent vs West Ham, Lech Poznan vs Fiorentina, and all the Europa Conference League 1st leg quarterfinal ties

Topics: TV Schedules, West Ham, Gent, Nice, Basel, Lech Poznan, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, AZ Alkmaar, UEFA Europa Conference League

The Hammers travel to Belgium for the first leg of their quarterfinal showdown with Gent while Anderlecht battle it out with AZ Alkmaar in another interesting fixture.

Thursday is finally upon us, and with the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals coming to a wrap, the focus shifts to Europe's two other club competitions.

The UEFA Europa Conference League, just like the Europa League, is gearing up for the last eight, with several top sides preparing to battle it out for a spot in the semifinals. West Ham, the struggling yet talented Premier League side, are one of the standout names left in the competition, but the Hammers are not alone.

Ligue 1 outfit Nice, Polish heavyweights Lech Poznan, Serie A side Fiorentina, and Belgian giants Anderlecht are also fighting to make the penultimate stage of Europe's recently-founded club competition.

Which side will triumph in the first-leg fixtures? Which players are set to miss the upcoming round? Here's everything you need to know about the UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinals.

What are the UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinal fixtures?

Gent vs West Ham
Basel vs Nice
Lech Poznan vs Fiorentina
Anderlecht vs Alkmaar

What are the top games to watch in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinals?

Gent vs West Ham

West Ham will look to put their domestic woes behind them when they travel to Belgium for the first leg of their quarterfinal showdown with Gent. The Hammers enter this clash on the back of their confidence-boosting 1-0 win over Fulham in the English top flight, but the scars from their 5-1 thrashing at home to Newcastle earlier this month remain. David Moyes' men are thus in a relegation battle but their showdown on Thursday gives them an escape from their domestic nightmares.

As for Gent, they are fourth in the Belgium Pro League, having recently drawn 1-1 with second-placed Union Saint-Gilloise thanks to an 80th-minute penalty. Additionally, the home side made it to this round after beating Istanbul Basaksehir 5-2 in the last 16 and will look to carry this momentum into the quarterfinals. Can De Buffalos beat the London heavyweights in this tie? Don't miss this clash.

Lech Poznan vs Fiorentina

Stadion Poznan will be the venue for this clash as the competition's best defense looks to thwart the Europa Conference League's deadliest attack in a battle for a semifinal ticket.

The Polish side have registered the most clean sheets so far this season with six, with the most recent coming in the previous round after thrashing Djurgarden 5-0 to make it this far. The Italian side, who have scored a whopping 26 goals so far, also netted five in the round of 16, overcoming Sivasspor 5-1 in the previous matchup. However, unlike Poznan, La Viola do not sit in a European spot in their domestic league, with Vincenzo Italiano's side being ninth in the table. As a result, a lot rides on this competition for the visitors.

Anderlecht vs Alkmaar

Belgian heavyweights Anderlecht look horns with Dutch side Alkmaar in our third and final must-watch fixture as these two sides will battle it out for a 1st-leg advantage. The hosts overcame Villarreal in the previous round, beating the Spanish outfit 2-1 thanks to Islam Slimani's winning goal. However, the visitors overcame a tough opponent in the last 16 as well, beating Serie A's second-placed club Lazio 4-2. However, while the hosts are on a six-game unbeaten run, Pascal Jansen's side are on a three-game winless streak and will need to end this horrible run when they visit Lotto Park.