Mohammed Kudus scores as West Ham secure comeback win in Europa League

• Posted on September 22, 2023September 22, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Mohammed Kudus netted his first goal for West Ham as the reigning Europa Conference League champions rallied from behind to secure a victory against Serbian outfit Backa Topola in their opening match of the Europa League group stage.

The Black Stars attacker was named in the starting lineup for the first time since his switch from Ajax Amsterdam last month.

The Hammers thrived on their European experience to bounce back after going down against the competition’s debutants.

After a goalless first half, Backa Topola made the most of a blunder committed by Angelo Ogbonna to take the lead thanks to a good effort by Serbian midfielder Petar Stanic who struck accurately to break the deadlock.

However, the Hammers quickly gathered momentum and descended on the visitors as Said Benrahma forced goalkeeper Nemanja Petrovic to inadvertently bundle his cross into the net for a crucial equaliser.

The decisive moment arrived in the 70th minute, four minutes after the equaliser as Mohammed Kudus rose above his markers to connect a brilliantly taken corner kick from James Ward-Prowse steering his header past the helpless goalkeeper.

To seal a comfortable end to the game, substitute Tomas Soucek headed home from another Ward-Prowse corner eight minutes from the final whistle.

Kudus goal marks another feat in the competition having scored a hat-trick in his last game for Ajax in the Europa League before switching camps.