Europa League - Group H
Dinamo ZagrebDinamo Zagreb0West HamWest Ham United2

Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 West Ham United: Michail Antonio and Declan Rice score in comfortable Europa League win

By Steve SutcliffeBBC Sport
Declan Rice
Declan Rice capped his 150th appearance for West Ham with a goal

David Moyes says he is "really excited" to not know the true potential of his West Ham team after they opened their Europa League campaign with a Group H win at Dinamo Zagreb.

Michail Antonio and Declan Rice both scored as the Hammers announced themselves in the competition with a dominant performance against the Croatian champions.

It ensured that Moyes' side continued their unbeaten start to the campaign, and barring qualifying games, delivered a first victory in Europe since 1999.

"Zagreb have a really good history in European football so I knew it was going to be a tough game and the players were made aware of that," Moyes said.

"I'm really excited about the prospect of slightly not knowing how good they could be. We brought in some new players tonight and didn't look any the worse for it.

"Bigger challenges will come and my target is still to be in Europe after Christmas, when other teams come in. It's only one game, but the players are in a good place."

Antonio had set the Hammers on their way with his fifth goal of the season, intercepting Kevin Theophile-Catherine's underhit backpass to round home goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and slide the ball into an empty net.

After the break Rice sealed an exemplary away performance with a superb second on his 150th appearance for the club.

The England midfielder brilliantly won back possession and drove into the Dinamo area before dispatching a powerful left-foot shot through Livakovic's legs.

"I think what he's [Rice] tried to do is take himself to the next level," added Moyes. "He's a terrific player and he's getting better.

"He's still only 22, he's a young boy with a big future. It's one step at a time, but he's doing really well for us. The ability to surge away from people, his power and speed, is a great trait."

Rice's goal underlined West Ham's superiority and vindicated Moyes' decision to introduce several players into his starting XI for the first time this season.

Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic both impressed on their full debuts for the club, while Ryan Fredericks, Manuel Lanzini and Issa Diop also acquitted themselves well.

The Hammers are joined at the top of Group H by Genk, who scored a stoppage-time winner at Rapid Vienna.

A perfect night for West Ham and Moyes

As far as European away trips go few are likely to prove as straightforward as this for West Ham.

On paper they appeared to have been handed a difficult opening assignment against last term's quarter-finalists and conquerors of Tottenham.

However, the only disappointment was that the scoreline was not more emphatic.

Roared on by about 2,000 visiting fans at Stadion Maksimir, Moyes' team pushed forward from the outset and the likes of Fredericks, Vlasic and Lanzini all failed to capitalise when presented with good opportunities to score.

Aside from the aggressive nature of West Ham's pressing, Moyes will have also been delighted by the way his side nullified Dinamo's threat.

Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski barely had a shot to save, with the only moment of alarm coming when a heavily deflected Luka Ivanusec effort clipped the outside of the right post before going wide.

Player of the match

AntonioMichail Antonio

with an average of 8.75

Dinamo Zagreb

  1. Squad number2Player nameMoharrami
    Average rating

    4.76

  2. Squad number40Player nameLivakovic
    Average rating

    4.67

  3. Squad number99Player nameOrsic
    Average rating

    4.67

  4. Squad number8Player nameGojak
    Average rating

    4.57

  5. Squad number70Player nameMenalo
    Average rating

    4.56

  6. Squad number24Player nameTolic
    Average rating

    4.56

  7. Squad number39Player nameJuric
    Average rating

    4.55

  8. Squad number6Player nameLauritsen
    Average rating

    4.54

  9. Squad number21Player namePetkovic
    Average rating

    4.52

  10. Squad number28Player nameThéophile-Catherine
    Average rating

    4.50

  11. Squad number38Player nameFranjic
    Average rating

    4.38

  12. Squad number7Player nameIvanusec
    Average rating

    4.34

  13. Squad number37Player nameSutalo
    Average rating

    4.32

  14. Squad number13Player nameRistovski
    Average rating

    4.29

  15. Squad number5Player nameAdemi
    Average rating

    4.28

  16. Squad number27Player nameMisic
    Average rating

    4.27

West Ham United

  1. Squad number9Player nameAntonio
    Average rating

    8.75

  2. Squad number41Player nameRice
    Average rating

    8.73

  3. Squad number4Player nameZouma
    Average rating

    8.24

  4. Squad number28Player nameSoucek
    Average rating

    8.23

  5. Squad number3Player nameCresswell
    Average rating

    8.14

  6. Squad number8Player nameFornals
    Average rating

    7.87

  7. Squad number23Player nameDiop
    Average rating

    7.86

  8. Squad number24Player nameFredericks
    Average rating

    7.82

  9. Squad number20Player nameBowen
    Average rating

    7.76

  10. Squad number1Player nameFabianski
    Average rating

    7.71

  11. Squad number11Player nameVlasic
    Average rating

    7.70

  12. Squad number10Player nameLanzini
    Average rating

    7.66

  13. Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
    Average rating

    7.63

  14. Squad number16Player nameNoble
    Average rating

    7.61

  15. Squad number26Player nameMasuaku
    Average rating

    7.43

  16. Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko
    Average rating

    7.33

Line-ups

Dinamo Zagreb

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 40Livakovic
  • 28Théophile-CatherineSubstituted forJuricat 45'minutes
  • 6Lauritsen
  • 37Sutalo
  • 13RistovskiSubstituted forMoharramiat 63'minutes
  • 27MisicBooked at 67minsSubstituted forTolicat 75'minutes
  • 38Franjic
  • 99OrsicSubstituted forMenaloat 83'minutes
  • 5Ademi
  • 7IvanusecSubstituted forGojakat 84'minutes
  • 21Petkovic

Substitutes

  • 1Zagorac
  • 2Moharrami
  • 3Stefulj
  • 8Gojak
  • 9Andric
  • 24Tolic
  • 31Bulat
  • 39Juric
  • 46Baturina
  • 66Dilaver
  • 70Menalo
  • 77Spikic

West Ham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Fabianski
  • 24Fredericks
  • 23Diop
  • 4Zouma
  • 3Cresswell
  • 41RiceSubstituted forNobleat 82'minutes
  • 28Soucek
  • 11VlasicSubstituted forBowenat 69'minutes
  • 10LanziniBooked at 32minsSubstituted forBenrahmaat 52'minutes
  • 8FornalsSubstituted forMasuakuat 83'minutes
  • 9AntonioSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 83'minutes

Substitutes

  • 5Coufal
  • 7Yarmolenko
  • 13Areola
  • 15Dawson
  • 16Noble
  • 20Bowen
  • 21Ogbonna
  • 22Benrahma
  • 26Masuaku
  • 31Johnson
  • 33Král
  • 35Randolph
Referee:
Ruddy Buquet
Attendance:
12,344

Match Stats

Home TeamDinamo ZagrebAway TeamWest Ham
Possession
Home50%
Away50%
Shots
Home8
Away14
Shots on Target
Home0
Away5
Corners
Home3
Away7
Fouls
Home5
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Dinamo Zagreb 0, West Ham United 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Dinamo Zagreb 0, West Ham United 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt saved. Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham United) header from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Saïd Benrahma with a cross.

  4. Post update

    Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Sadegh Moharrami.

  5. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Saïd Benrahma (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tomas Soucek.

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, Dinamo Zagreb. Amer Gojak replaces Luka Ivanusec.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Dinamo Zagreb. Luka Menalo replaces Mislav Orsic.

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, West Ham United. Andriy Yarmolenko replaces Michail Antonio.

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, West Ham United. Arthur Masuaku replaces Pablo Fornals.

  10. Substitution

    Substitution, West Ham United. Mark Noble replaces Declan Rice.

  11. Post update

    Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Kurt Zouma (West Ham United).

  13. Post update

    Offside, Dinamo Zagreb. Luka Ivanusec tries a through ball, but Deni Juric is caught offside.

  14. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Saïd Benrahma (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pablo Fornals.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Dinamo Zagreb. Marko Tolic replaces Josip Misic.

  16. Post update

    Attempt saved. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Michail Antonio.

  17. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Dinamo Zagreb. Conceded by Tomas Soucek.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, West Ham United. Jarrod Bowen replaces Nikola Vlasic.

  20. Post update

    Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Thursday 16th September 2021

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Lyon11002023
2Brøndby IF10100001
3Sparta Prague10100001
4Rangers100102-20

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Monaco11001013
2Real Sociedad10102201
3PSV Eindhoven10102201
4SK Sturm Graz100101-10

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Legia Warsaw11001013
2Napoli10102201
3Leicester10102201
4Spartak Moscow100101-10

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Olympiakos11002113
2Fenerbahçe10101101
3Frankfurt10101101
4Royal Antwerp100112-10

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Galatasaray11001013
2Marseille10101101
3Lokomotiv Moscow10101101
4Lazio100101-10

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Red Star Belgrade11002113
2Ludogorets10101101
3FC Midtjylland10101101
4Sporting Braga100112-10

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Real Betis11004313
2B Leverkusen11002113
3Celtic100134-10
4Ferencvárosi TC100112-10

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1West Ham11002023
2KRC Genk11001013
3Rapid Vienna100101-10
4Dinamo Zagreb100102-20
View full Europa League tables