LONDON: West Ham will face Fiorentina in their first European final for 47 years after Thursday’s 1-0 victory at AZ Alkmaar clinched a 3-1 aggregate success in the Europa Conference League semifinals.
Pablo Fornals scored West Ham’s winner in the final moments of the tense second leg to set up a clash with Fiorentina in the final in Prague on June 7.
The Hammers last reached a major European final in 1976 when they were beaten by Anderlecht in the Cup Winners Cup. In the other semifinal second leg, Antonin Barak’s last-gasp goal sealed Fiorentina’s dramatic 3-1 win at FC Basel.
The Serie A club are the first team to reach the final of four different major European competitions. Vincenzo Italiano’s side trailed 2-1 after the semifinal first leg, but they turned the tie around in Switzerland.