West Ham United Make The Europa League Semifinals As Barcelona Are Dumped Out

West Ham United became the latest English club to go through to a European semi final this week, as Barcelona crashed out.

Liverpool and Manchester City made it through to the semi finals of the Champions League on Wednesday, as the two clubs continued their battle to fight it out for all of the major trophies in the next few weeks.

They were then joined by Leicester City on Thursday evening, as Brendan Rodgers' side came from behind to beat PSV in the Europa Conference League.

And later that night it was the turn of West Ham, as they defeated Lyon in France, to make it into the final four of the Europa League.

The Hammers would have been eyeing a trip to the Nou Camp, if they were able to get past Lyon, but that disappeared as Frankfurt embarrassed Barcelona in Spain.

Last week David Moyes' team had been left feeling aggrieved after their Ligue 1 opponents had left the London Stadium with a 1-1 draw.

Whilst it wasn't a particularly bad result, the sending off of Aaron Cresswell, and Moussa Dembele's wink in particular, had annoyed them, and they'd even been stopped by their own fan running on the pitch during an attack.

On Thursday they were lucky early on as Karl Toko Ekambi hit the post in the fifth minute, when shooting from inside the area, and the ball was cleared.

They soaked up some early pressure but the visitors then took the lead on the night, and in the tie, when Craig Dawson headed home from a corner with just seven minutes of the first half left.

CRAIG DAWSON! 💥

West Ham's centre-back makes a great run towards the front post to head the ball home! 🙌

Advantage to the Irons! 💪#UEL pic.twitter.com/qNmxO5V9b8

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 14, 2022

However, before the referee could blow for the break, the side from London had doubled their lead, through Declan Rice, and put themselves in pole position for the last four.

Rice drilled home a finish from the edge of the box, after a cross from Pablo Fornals had taken a deflection right into the midfielder's path.

It's that man, Declan Rice! 💫

He keeps his cool to add West Ham's second goal in a matter of minutes ⚽️

It's all going to plan so far! #UEL pic.twitter.com/OTswmClbmZ

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 14, 2022

If any West Ham fans were worried about needing to hold on to the two goal lead in the second 45 minutes, then those fears were soon put to bed.

The players came out after the break as if they were very comfortable with their position, and Jarrod Bowen made it 3-0 just three minutes after the restart.

Fornals found the forward with a lovely through ball and the man tipped to be part of Gareth Southgate's next England squad ran through with the ball and slotted home from the edge of the area.

It keeps getting better and better for West Ham! 🙏

A swift attack allows Jarrod Bowen to go clean through on goal and he makes no mistake in finding the corner! 🎯#UEL pic.twitter.com/7tePYwyhP9

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 14, 2022

That was it for the scoring, but what will please Moyes was the fact that they never really came under pressure, despite the fact there was plenty of time left in the half.

Before kick off they'd have been expecting to face Barca, if they managed to go through, with Xavi's side playing hosts to Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

The visitors had won 1-0 in Germany but the Spanish giants were still favourites to make it into the semis, having been knocked out of the Champions League at the group stages.

However, Frankfurt, who made it through to the semis of the competition in 2019, went into a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Filip Kostic and Rafael Santos Borre.

They looked certain to shock their hosts until Barcelona hit back with two goals in injury time, from Sergio Busquets and Memphis Depay, but there was no time left and Frankfurt went through, where they will meet West Ham for a place in the final in Seville.