THE Eden Arena in Prague plays host to the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday night, as Fiorentina and West Ham United face off for a shot at glory.
Fiorentina will be hoping that they can emulate their Italian counterparts Roma, who lifted the Conference League trophy in last year's inaugural showpiece.
Since finishing second in Group A, Vincenzo Italiano's side have seen off Sporting Braga, Sivasspor and Lech Poznan, before beating Basel in a dramatic extra-time win at the semi-final stage.
The Viola, who recently came up short in the Coppa Italia final against Inter, will be desperate to avoid the same fate when they face David Moyes' men this midweek.
West Ham's European form has been the only real shining light of their season, though they did show signs of improvement towards the tail end of the Premier League campaign to pull themselves away from the the fight for survival.
Having already dispatched of AEK Larnaca, Gent and AZ, it would be fair to say that this will be the Hammers' toughest test yet as they bid to end the club's 43-year trophy drought.
Outright Betting
The bookmakers are struggling to separate the sides with Fiorentina marginal outsiders at 9/5 (Bet 365) while the 90 minute draw can be backed at a best 9/4 (Ladbrokes).
West Ham United, who have won 13 of their 14 Europa Conference League matches this season, are 17/10 (Bet 365) favourites to triumph without the need for extra time or penalty kicks.
Betting Angles
While many are anticipating a cagey clash between these two sides, it may pay to go against the grain and take a value price by backing Both Teams to Score at 17/20 (William Hill).
Although West Ham arrive in Prague in the midst of some mixed form, the attacking threat that they carry has saw them score in each of their 14 continental contests this term, not to mention they notched in 25 of their 38 English top-flight outings.
That being said, the Hammers have demonstrated a fairly regular inability to keep the back door shut this season, with David Moyes' men falling to keep out their opponents in seven of their 14 Europa Conference League assignments, including three of their last four.
With a talented squad at their disposal, Fiorentina are certainly capable of carving out scoring opportunities against West Ham, though they aren't exactly watertight at the back themselves.
That is evidenced by the fact that Vincenzo Italiano's side have failed to a keep a clean sheet in six of their eight knockout ties, with the likes of Sporting Braga, Sivasspor, Lech Poznan and Basel all managing to breach the Viola's backline
In fact, BTTS has been a winning bet in each of Fiorentina's last five European fixtures, and that in turn makes the 17/20 (Bet 365) about a repeat in Prague an appetising betting proposition.
On a similar train of thought to the above, I'm also going to have a small play in the Correct Score market with the 1-1 looking like a nice scoreline to cheer on at 5/1 (Bet 365) in what should be a tightly contested affair.
Elsewhere, I'll also chance a 66/1 (SkyBet) longshot by throwing some loose change on Lucas Paquetá to score from outside the box.
The Brazilian international's most recent strike for the Hammers was from distance and the classy playmaker could be the man to provide a moment of attacking brilliance that can swing it in what is likely to be a very tense night in the Czech capital.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Fiorentina and West Ham United will be played on Jun 7, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Fiorentina vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
