Big Hammers interest as Conference takes step forward

West Ham fans and club officials watched with great interest last night as the after the first leg  of the Euro Conference play-off ties took place.

Having topped their group unbeaten, the Irons squad has enjoyed a decent break from the Thursday/Sunday routine but will be meeting one of the eight play-off round winners in the last 16 of the UCL.

Fiorentina secured a 4-0 win in Portugal against Braga, with the second Serie A outfit Lazio beat FC Cluj 1-0 in Rome per KUMB,com..

However the two  Belgian outfits were surprisingly beaten – Gent doing down  1-0 to Qarabag in the first leg and Anderlecht losing by the odd goal away to Ludogerets.

Larnaca secured a first leg advantage courtesy of a 1-0 win against Dnipro  – while Turkish club Trabzonspor take a one-goal lead into advantage into their second leg with Swiss outfit Basel .

The return legs of the play-off round take place next Thursday, 23 February.

Play-off round, 1st leg results

Bodo/Glimt 0-0 Lech Poznan
Braga 0-4 Fiorentina
Larnaca 1-0 Dnipro
Lazio 1-0 FC Cluj
Ludogerets 1-0 Anderlecht
Quarabag 1-0 Gent
Sheriff 0-1 Partizan
Trabzonspor 1-0 FC Basel