The second of three European finals is upon us. A week ago, it was the Europa League final, with Sevilla beating Roma on penalties to lift the title. Fast forward to today and the focus shifts to the 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League final, with West Ham and Fiorentina going head-to-head for the honor of being crowned the champions.
Both teams have the opportunity to end a long wait for European silverware. For Fiorentina, it has been 23 since they last featured in the final of a continental club tournament and that was the 1990 encounter with Juventus.
Unfortunately for La Viola, that showdown with Juventus ended in defeat and they must be at their best in order to avoid a similar fate against West Ham. Furthermore, this Fiorentina's only route to Europe next season, with the Italian club having finished outside the European spots in Serie A following an unsatisfactory season.
However, Fiorentina's path to the final should give their fans tremendous confidence. Not only are they the team with the most goals this entire season but Vincenzo Italiano's side also boast the UEFA Europa League's top scorer in the form of Arthur Cabral.
And then there is their unforgettable semifinal showdown with Basel, with La Viola triumphing in dramatic fashion. The Serie A outfit finished second in their group, which meant a Knockout Round Playoff, but Cabral and Co. have gotten stronger by the day and that culminated in their semifinal victory.
After overcoming Braga, Sivasspor and Lech Poznan in the knockout stage, Fiorentina met Basel in the penultimate round and suffered a huge blow after losing the home leg 2-1. However, Italiano's men pulled off an unforgettable victory in the second leg, with Antonin Barak scoring in the 129th minute to send Fiorentina through to the final courtesy of a 3-1 victory (4-3 on aggregate). Can La Viola pull off a similar result against West Ham to win their first major trophy since their Coppa Italia success in 2001?
Out of the two, it is West Ham that have won a European trophy more recently. However, that gap is nothing significant, with the Hammers lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup four years after Fiorentina won that competition in 1961.
However, while La Viola have gone 22 years without a trophy, West Ham fans were last treated to a major title in 1980 when the London outfit lifted the FA Cup. Will that 43-year wait come to an end on Wednesday?
While David Moyes' side haven't enjoyed a spectacular season after hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone for large portions of the campaign, the Hammers could finish 2022/23 on a high. Declan Rice and Co. sealed 14th spot in the Premier League and went one up on last season's European campaign after crashing out in the Europa League semifinals.
Additionally, the Premier League club are yet to lose a game in this competition despite often heavily rotating. West Ham topped their group, the London side went on to beat AEK Larnaca, Gent, and AZ Alkmaar en route to the final, winning all but one of their 12 matches.
West Ham's 3-1 victory over AZ was unfortunately overshadowed by ugly scenes after ultras of the Dutch club attacked West Ham fans and the families of the players, which ultimately led to Moyes' men getting involved to protect their loved ones.
Nonetheless, Moyes and his men are through to a European final. Last year's Europa Conference League final was the tournament's inaugural silverware and it was lifted by an Italian club. Declan Rice will want to end this and lift that title for the fans in what will be his final game for the Hammers.
Team news
Fiorentina: Salvatore Sirigu is the only main concern for the club. Nicolas Gonzalez, who suffered a scare after crashing into the post in his team's recent game, should be fine for the final. Meanwhile, Arthur Cabral will lead the line.
West Ham: Declan Rice will captain the Hammers in what looks to be his final game for the club, with Tomas Soucek set to feature alongside the Englishman in midfield. It will be interesting to see whether Alphonse Areola will start in goal ahead of Lukas Fabianski, with the Frenchman having handled European duty so far. Gianluca Scamacca is David Moyes' only absentee after suffering a knee injury than needed a surgery.
Key stats
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Fiorentina have scored 36 goals so far in this tournament, the most by any club this season.
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Arthur Cabral is also the tournament's top scorer, netting a lovely seven times en route to the final.
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West Ham are the second-highest scoring team in the Europa Conference League this season but have nine fewer goals than La Viola.
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However, the Hammers have only conceded seven goals so far compared to Fiorentina's 16.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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