EXTRA TIME

West Ham lost, Rapid won

April 13, 2025 at 6:45 pm Leave a comment

Narrow defeat at Liverpool

BBC wrote that the defeat which West Ham suffered on Sunday afternoon at Anfield means West Ham are winless in their last five league matches – a longer run without victory than any they suffered under former manager Julen Lopetegui.
That is a harsh stat considering how West Ham played in the second half on Sunday. After a dismal first half (again the Hammers starting XI played as if they were in preseason) the manager made some substitutions and suddenly West Ham’s play was much more positive.

The Hammers finally were level when Wan-Bissaka’s left-wing cross caused panic in the Reds’ defence and van Dijk’s attempted clearance inadvertently bounced off substitute Andy Robertson and into the net. The Hammers would have got at least a point if not for the brilliance of Liverpool keeper Alisson and van Dijk‘s header in the 89th minute when Liverpool‘s skipper outjumped his marker to head in from six yards from a right-wing corner. West Ham sub Niclas Fullkrug afterwards hit the woodwork with a chance to make it 2-2.

While West Ham are now only one place above the drop zone, they are 14 points ahead of Ipswich Town in 18th with six games to go. They must be careful to avoid sleepwalking into a nightmare end to the campaign.

On Sunday SK Rapid won the 345th Vienna derby against Austria 2-0 (1-0) in the Admiral Bundesliga Champions Group and poured a bucket of cold water on the “Violets” fight for the title. The home win for the hosts after goals from Matthias Seidl (5th) and Mamadou Sangare (70th) was well deserved and Rapid gained confidence for the second leg of the Conference League quarter-final at home against Djurgarden IF on Thursday (9.00 pm). Rapid won the first leg in Sweden 1-0. Inspired by this, Matthias Seidl scored in the fifth minute for the Green-Whites in front of 23,000 spectators, and in the second half it was a beautiful goal scored by Sangare which sealed Rapid’s well deserved win.

Shortly after Guido Burgstaller was brought on as a second half substitute for the second time after a skull fracture he had suffered in December, it was midfielder Mamadou Sangare who danced past three Austrian players and made it 2:0 with a shot under the cross bar.

Rapid claimed their third derby home win in a row and only their third victory of 2025 in their ninth league game of the year. The green-and-whites remain in fifth place in the Bundesliga table – three points behind the WAC, five behind Salzburg and seven behind Austria.

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