West Ham 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen agg 1-3 - Hammers out as Frimpong keeps German sides
An unexpected goal from Jeremie Frimpong kept Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League as West Ham crashed out in front of their own fans
A 3-1 deficit from the first leg made the task facing David Moyes' side a tough one, but an early goal from Jarrod Bowen gave the hosts hope
However, Frimpong equalised just moments later to put the tie beyond the Hammers' reach and consign them to Europa Conference League football for the remainder of the season.
West Ham started brightly and took the lead after just four minutes when Bowen latched onto a loose ball and fired past Lukáš Hrádecký from the edge of the area. The goal sparked a spell of intense pressure from the hosts, but they were unable to add to their tally.
Leverkusen grew into the game as the half wore on and were rewarded for their persistence when Frimpong levelled the scores in the 27th minute. The Ghanaian winger controlled a pass from Exequiel Palacios and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.
The second half was a more even affair, with both sides creating chances but failing to find the net. West Ham had the better of the opportunities, but Hrádecký was in inspired form and made several important saves to keep his side in the tie.
As the game entered the final stages, West Ham threw everything at Leverkusen in search of a winner, but the German side held firm to secure their place in the next round.
The result was a disappointing one for West Ham, who had been hoping to make a deep run in the Europa League this season. However, they can take solace in the fact that they gave a good account of themselves against a strong Leverkusen side.
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