West Ham United v Olympique Lyonnais
UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg, Thursday 7 April 2022, 8pm BST
West Ham United's European tour continues with a UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday evening.
Having overcome opposition from Croatia, Belgium, Austria and Spain to reach the last eight, the Hammers now face French Ligue 1 club Lyon, with a place in the semi-finals the reward for the winners on aggregate.
The first of two legs takes place at London Stadium, where the vast majority of a capacity 60,000 crowd will once again roar on David Moyes' squad in the Club's first proper European quarter-final in 41 years.
Both clubs topped their respective Europa League groups, with West Ham dominating GNK Dinamo Zagreb, KRC Genk and Rapid Vienna to win Group H with a game to spare, while Lyon won Group A without losing a match to finish ahead of Rangers, Sparta Prague and Brøndby IF.
West Ham then came from behind to defeat Sevilla 2-1 on aggregate in the round of 16, while Lyon held off Porto by the same scoreline.
Looking back into history, West Ham won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, reached the final again in 1976 and made the quarter-finals in 1981, losing to Soviet Cup winners Dinamo Tbilisi. In 1999, Harry Redknapp's side won the UEFA Intertoto Cup and reached the UEFA Cup second round. The Hammers were twice involved in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds in 2015 and 2016, but were eliminated before the tournament proper.
Lyon are seeking their first proper European trophy, having reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League (twice), the Europa League and Cup Winners' Cup previously, while also winning the Intertoto Cup in 1997.
This quarter-final marks the first competitive meeting between the two clubs, so let's find out more about it and our opponents!
Ticket news
West Ham United have sold out all General Admission tickets and Club London packages at London Stadium for what is the Club's biggest home European tie in over 40 years.
Supporters are encouraged to arrive at London Stadium as early as possible for Thursday's tie.
Tickets are available for the upcoming Premier League fixtures with Burnley and Arsenal now here.
To enquire about Club London packages for our remaining home Premier League fixtures; please call 0204 551 0037 or click here.
Official Programme
West Ham United's award-winning Official Programme for Thursday's historic UEFA Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie with Olympique Lyonnais is on sale now.
To mark the Club's biggest European night in over four decades, we've put together a commemorative 116-page issue packed with exclusive content.
We've got interviews with our French goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and Intertoto Cup winners John Moncur and Marc Keller; columns penned by manager David Moyes and Club captain Mark Noble; plus a celebration of the unforgettable day 50 years ago when we became the first English top-flight club to field three black players.
We've also got the latest from the Academy of Football, Women's team and Foundation, and an in-depth guide to our visitors from France - plus much, much more.
Get your West Ham United v Olympique Lyonnais Official Programme now!
Update on supporter access to London Stadium
West Ham United can provide an update to supporters on their access to London Stadium for the remainder of the 2021/22 season, following the Government’s easing of COVID-19 Autumn and Winter Plan B restrictions.
In line with the latest Government guidance, COVID passes will no longer be a condition of entry to Premier League matches.
Supporters will no longer be required to complete a health declaration form before the match, nor present any form of COVID certification on matchday.
West Ham United, the Premier League and its clubs continue to urge fans to follow public health guidance to keep each other safe on a matchday, including wearing face coverings when indoors or in crowded areas.
A Code of Conduct remains in place and is updated to reflect the latest changes in Government and Premier League guidance. As COVID-19 restrictions ease, it is vital supporters continue to do all they can to minimise the risk of passing on COVID
Supporters should note that stadium access processes continue to remain subject to change, in line with changes to COVID protocols or guidance issued by the Government, Premier League and SGSA.
Travel news
Supporters are advised to check their journeys before travel, with resources such as TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app helping to avoid some essential works across the transport network. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website to plan their journey if traveling on the rail network.
There are some service disruptions that supporters should be aware of on Thursday 7 April:
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- Basildon line - Due to Network Rail undertaking track maintenance work from 11.30pm, services will be diverted via an alternative route between Barking and Pitsea and will call additionally at Grays, Tilbury Town, East Tilbury and Stanford-le-Hope. Passengers in possession of a valid rail ticket may use the London Underground District Line between Barking and Upminster at no extra charge. Rail replacement buses will run between Upminster and Pitsea via Laindon.
- Ockendon line - Due to Network Rail undertaking track maintenance work from 11.30pm, services will be diverted via an alternative route between Barking and Pitsea and will call additionally at Dagenham Dock, Rainham & Purfleet. Passengers in possession of a valid rail ticket may use the London Underground District Line between Barking and Upminster at no extra charge. Rail replacement buses will run between Upminster and Grays.
Northern line
- There is no service between Moorgate and Kennington due to major upgrade works. London Buses Route 733 will operate between Moorgate and Oval via Bank, London Bridge, Borough, Elephant & Castle and Kennington.
How can I follow the game?
Kick-off on Thursday is at 8pm BST, with the tie being broadcast live on television by BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate in the UK. Please check your local TV listings if you live outside the UK.
We will also be covering the game live with a blog and audio commentary on whufc.com and our Official App and across our social media channels, with goals, highlights and exclusive reaction to follow after the final whistle.
Team news
West Ham United will be without Manuel Lanzini after the Argentina international was shown his third yellow card of the Europa League campaign in the round of 16 second-leg win over Sevilla.
Declan Rice has been booked twice and will miss the second leg in France should he be shown a third yellow card on Thursday evening.
David Moyes will also be without Angelo Ogbonna (knee), but will hope Ben Johnson has recovered from the knock which caused him to miss Sunday's Premier League win over Everton.
Olympique Lyonnais have nobody suspended, but captain and right-back Léo Dubois and centre-backs Jérôme Boateng and Castello Jr are all one booking away from missing the second leg.
All yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals and they are not carried forward to the semi-finals.
Peter Bosz is likely to be without central midfielder Maxence Caqueret, who was injured in training last week and missed Sunday's 3-2 win over Angers in Ligue 1.
Each manager may use five substitutes over the evening, to be made at half-time or during up to three other breaks in play.
UEFA Europa League
Each manager may use five substitutes this evening, to be made at half-time or during up to three other breaks in play.
The opposition – Olympique Lyonnais
The origins of Olympique Lyonnais in 1950 echo those of West Ham United exactly 50 years earlier.
For, just as was the case within Thames Ironworks in 1900, it was internal disagreements over the use of both amateur and professional players within Lyon Olympique Universitaire that led to the formation of a new, professional club in August 1950.
Similar to the early West Ham United, who moved into the Boleyn Ground four years after the club’s reformation, Olympique Lyonnais – or Lyon, for short – moved into the Stade de Gerland just months after coming into existence, and both clubs would incidentally remain at their historic homes until 2016.
On the pitch, Lyon quickly established themselves, winning Ligue 2 in their first season, 1950/51, before lifting their first Coupe de France in 1964 – the same year West Ham won the FA Cup for the first time – under the management of former France international midfielder Lucien Jasseron (pictured, below).
Lyon would win a second Coupe de France in 1967 and a third in 1973, but the club from France’s third-largest city remained largely in the sizeable green shadow of local rivals AS Saint-Étienne, who themselves won Ligue 1 eight times between 1963/64 and 1975/76.
In 1983, while the France national team had emerged into one of the best in the world, Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2, where they would remain for the next six years.
During that period, in 1987, the club was bought by local businessman Jean-Michel Aulas, who unveiled an ambitious plan entitled OL – Europe with the aim of taking Lyon back to Ligue 1 and into European competition within four years.
Aulas cleared the club’s debts, restructured its finances and transformed it into one of the richest and most powerful in France.
By the turn of the millennium, Aulas’ vision was becoming a reality and in 2001/02, Lyon were crowned champions of France for the first time in their history, led by Brazilian trio Sonny Anderson, Juninho Pernambucano and Edmílson, as well as outstanding France midfielder Eric Carrière.
Amazingly, Lyon would retain the Ligue 1 title in each of the next six seasons, despite changing manager twice, first after Jacques Santini departed to coach France in 2002, then when Paul Le Guen resigned and was replaced by Gérard Houllier in 2005.
During that streak, Lyon also won a fourth Coupe de France, its first Coupe de la Ligue and a record six Trophée des Champions, and also reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on three occasions.
Despite being the final pillar of Aulas' masterplan, a major European trophy still eludes Lyon, whose sole continental success came in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1997.
West Ham United supporters will hope that remains the case come the end of next Thursday’s second leg…
Previous meetings
Thursday's tie will be the first competitive meeting between West Ham United and Olympique Lyonnais.
West Ham's one previous experience of French opposition in UEFA competition came against Metz in one of the three 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup finals, when Harry Redknapp's side lost the first leg 0-1 at home before winning 3-1 away.
The Irons will hope to extend a proud home record in European competition on Thursday evening, while Lyon will want to extend their own recent run of good form against English opposition.
The Hammers have won 20 of 29 home ties in Europe overall, losing just six, with three victories coming at London Stadium in this season’s Europa League, all with clean sheets.
OL, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last six matches against English opposition, winning four and drawing two, with the most-recent being a 3-1 single-leg UEFA Champions League quarter-final success against Manchester City in Lisbon in July 2020.
Overall, Lyon have played against English clubs 21 times, winning eight, drawing eight and losing six, with five of those defeats coming on English soil. The Ligue 1 club have yet to win in London, losing twice at Tottenham Hotspur and drawing once at Arsenal.
Match officials
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referees: Stefan Lupp (GER) and Mark Borsch (GER)
Fourth Official: Bastian Dankert (GER)
VAR: Sven Jablonski (GER)
Assistant VAR: Arturs Gaidels (LVA)
Thursday's tie will be refereed by the experienced German Felix Zwayer.
The 40-year-old began his career in his home city of Berlin, being promoted to the 2. Bundesliga in 2007 and Bundesliga in 2009.
Zwayer has refereed 81 UEFA matches, including 29 in the UEFA Europa League.
He has controlled six Europa League ties involving teams from England and France, including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
HIs only previous Olympique Lyonnais appointment was in July 2020, when he refereed the French club's 2-1 UEFA Champions League round of 16 defeat by Juventus in Turin.
He also served as a VAR official at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.