West Ham v FCSB live stream: Hammers begin hunt for European glory against Romanian side who have never won a game in England – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

West Ham host Fotbal Club FCSB in their Europa Conference League opener tonight as the Hammers begin their hunt for European glory.

David Moyes’ side qualified for the Europa League semi-finals last year and will be looking to go even further in Europe this season.

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And after an intense summer of spending, West Ham are ready to compete on many fronts, and that starts tonight.

Their opponents finished second in the Romanian SuperLiga last year but are currently 13th after a dreadful start to the campaign.

They previously faced the Irons in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup and won 2-0 at home and drew 0-0 away.

But their England record doesn’t make for good reading. In ten matches, they have lost eight and drawn two.

However, Moyes won’t take them lightly and it could be difficult for the hosts.

West Ham v FCSB: Date and how to follow

This clash in the Europa Conference League will take place on Thursday, September 8.

Kick-off at the London Stadium is at 8 p.m.

The game will be shown on BT Sport 2, with coverage starting at 7.45pm. BT Sport customers can also watch the action online.

talkSPORT will have updates throughout the evening and talkSPORT.com will have a live blog.

To tune into talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 via the website click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen through the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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West Ham v FCSB: Team News

The Hammers are short at the back with Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell out.

Nayef Aguerd is also expected to be missing for another six weeks as he continues his recovery after suffering a nasty ankle injury in pre-season.

Tomas Soucek is also doubtful with a foot problem picked up against Chelsea at the weekend.

But there is better news for Gianluca Scamacca and Craig Dawson as they have both returned to training, although the latter is unlikely to start.

Declan Rice is also likely to return after being banned from both UECL qualifiers.

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West Ham v FCSB: What was said?

Hammers boss David Moyes: “We watched a lot of games. We tried to get a better idea and understanding of the FCSB.

“We know they probably had a rough start to the league, but overall if you finish second in your league.

“A bit like us, we finished very well last year but we didn’t start the championship so well.

“We recognized one or two players but I’m not going to tell you who they are.”

West Ham v FCSB: Match facts

• This will be the second meeting between West Ham United and FCSB in Europe – the Romanian side qualified for the second round of the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup with a 2-0 home win and a 0-0 draw away the outside.
• West Ham United’s only win over Romanian opponents in Europe came on their first-ever attempt – a 4-0 home win against FC Politehnica Timisoara in the 1980/81 Cup Winners’ Cup round of 16. Since then, the London club have not won any of their seven meetings with Romanian teams in Europe (D3, L4).
• FCSB have failed to win any of their 10 European away matches against English opponents (D2, L8) – they have lost each of their last seven with a goalscoring record of 5-16.
• After their Europa League campaign last season, this is West Ham United’s second appearance in a European group stage – they only lost their last group game last season (1-0 H against Dinamo Zagreb), only Olympique Lyon (16) picking up more points than West Ham in the 2021/22 UEL group stage (13).
• FCSB reached the main round of a UEFA competition for the first time since 2017/18 – the Romanian side reached the knockout stages of the Europa League by then. FCSB have won two of their last three away European group games – as many as in their previous 40 combined.