Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Some of these West Ham players will only ever win one [trophy] and this could be it, this could be their opportunity.

You turn around and think back to the chances as a player and you don't get close that often.

West Ham have had two in two seasons so this time they will remember the pain from last season and you hope for their sakes they think 'not tonight boys, we're going through.'

Image source, Tomas Soucek

West Ham are using the disappointment of missing out on last season's Europa League final as "motivation" says Tomas Soucek.

Last season they lost 3-1 on aggregate to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals.

"Now it's even more motivation for us that we are one game from the final and we are 100% on it," said Soucek.

"We were very disappointed after the semi-final last year."

Image source, Getty Images

A top away day for these West Ham fans. They are in north Holland, around 40 minutes drive from Amsterdam. Alkmaar apparently is known for its cheese. So I'm a big fan.

Image source, Getty Images

Manager David Moyes has led West Ham to top-10 finishes in the Premier League in the past two seasons.

But they have struggled for much of the current campaign.

They are 15th in the table with two games left, all but mathematically safe from relegation.

"We are not happy with the end result in the league - we want to be higher," said Tomas Soucek.

"But if we win this trophy it will be a very successful season. It would also give us European football again next season."

Image source, Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso played for three years under Jose Mourinho when the pair were at Real Madrid.

The midfielder made 151 appearances under Mourinho, winning 108 games.

"It's not easy to know what's going on in his mind," said Alonso.

"He's a special character. He's able to transmit a winning mentality to his teams and he's doing that in Rome."

However Alonso wants to get one over his former boss and give the Leverkusen fans a night to remember as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.

"Our goal is that in a few years, people will remember tomorrow night because of the atmosphere and the passion we will have," said Alonso, who took over Leverkusen in October and lifted them out of the relegation zone to European contention.

"I feel the energy from the team and we'll give everything.

"When we've given everything, then we can leave with our heads held high."

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham will not discuss midfielder Declan Rice's future with other clubs until the season has finished.

Hammers boss David Moyes said on Friday that there was "a good chance" Rice would leave the club this summer.

Rice, 24, has rejected all efforts to get him to sign an extension amid interest from virtually all of England's top clubs.

If the option of an additional season on his current deal was triggered, his contract would run to 2025.

Roma

Image source, Getty Images

Jose Mourinho led Roma to success in the Europa Conference League last season.

It added to his Europa League triumph with Manchester United in 2017 and Champions League trophies with Porto and Inter Milan in 2004 and 2010 respectively.

His side go into the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen with a 1-0 lead from last week's tie.

"The present is more important. The past is the past. We don't know the future," said Mourinho.

"Obviously, I would love to get to this final. Not so much for me. As I said, I've become a different person and think more about others than myself.

"I would like it so much for the boys and for the fans. The fans because they are absolutely extraordinary, the boys are an incredible group, they are having a season in which they are giving everything."

Mourinho, who has been linked with the Paris St-Germain job, says his side have already won the competition this year because they are the only non-Champions League side left.

"If the Europa League is for those who started the Europa League, then the cup is ours.

"Now let's hope to win and go to the final, let's see if it's possible."

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 1980.

They are aiming to reach their first European final since being runners-up in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1976.

"Now we're all motivated to get to the final, especially as West Ham haven't won a trophy for a few years and we want to give this chance to the fans," said Tomas Soucek.

Image source, BBC Sport

James Jones, We Are West Ham:, external

Here we are again. We're 90 minutes away from a European final.

David Moyes and the players have a chance to become heroes amid a season of disappointment, frustration and underperformance.

West Ham go into Thursday night's Europa Conference League semi-final second-leg against AZ Alkmaar with a 2-1 advantage, having come from behind in Stratford a week ago. Now we're on the verge of something we couldn't do last season, and we're in a much more favourable position this time around.

It has been 17 years since West Ham reached a major final and 43 years since any club captain in claret and blue held aloft silverware worth writing home about.

But, in just a few short weeks, Declan Rice could end that run and produce a fitting farewell to his time in the Hammers shirt. Mark Noble wasn't able to say goodbye with silverware last season, but Rice has a very realistic chance of doing just that 12 months on - and he would deserve it too.

However, it's the fans who deserve silverware the most. We've put up with so much negativity over the last couple of decades, let alone this season, yet we've remained true and loyal to the colours as proper fans do.

West Ham's trophy drought has gone on for long enough - it's about time the glory days returned to East London.

Image source, Getty Images

Getting to the Europa Conference League final would be another "step forward" for West Ham, says manager David Moyes.

"For us to have qualified for Europe in the first year was incredible after avoiding relegation.

"The biggest achievement last year was still being sixth and seventh while getting to the semi-final of the Europa League.

"To reach a final and make a step forward this season would be a great achievement.

"Although there have been a couple of steps backward, getting to a final would be a step forward."

Image source, Getty Images

Sevilla are record six-time winners of the Europa League and are in a decent position to make another final.

They were the better team for large periods of last Thursday's first-leg tie but were left to rue missed chances when Juventus equalised in the 97th minute.

"Seeing all the press in front of me tells me that this is one of the most important games of my career," said coach Jose Luis Mendilibar.

"You have to have enormous respect for Juve, who have won pretty much everything, but hopefully we can fight for 'the seventh'.

"I'm approaching this calmly, without driving the players crazy.

"We've seen Juve a lot and we think we know how to counteract them. A team like Juve will want the ball. So we have to be focused, knowing when to defend and staying patient."

• Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Roma
• Sevilla 1-1 Juventus

West Ham's dreams of a first major trophy since 1980 are still alive as they came from behind to secure a narrow first-leg win.

They beat Dutch side AZ Alkmaar at London Stadium 2-1 last week thanks to goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio.

West Ham will take nothing for granted given AZ were two down after the first leg of their quarter-final with Anderlecht and still made it through.

But West Ham have the advantage and are 90 minutes away from a European final. Can they do it?

AZ Alkmaar make two changes to the side that lost the first leg 2-1. Defender Mees de Wit is replaced by 19-year-old Milos Kerkez.

In attack Jesper Karlsson comes in for Jens Odgaard.

AZ Alkmaar XI: Ryan; Sugawara, Beukema, Hatzidiakos, Kerkez; Reijnders, Mijnans, Clasie; Van Brederode, Pavlidis, Karlsson.

Subs: Verhulst, Deen, De Wit, Mihailovic, Lahdo, Bazoer, Vanheusden, Buurmeester, De Wit, Meerdink, Goes.

As for West Ham, they are unchanged from the first leg which means eight players who started in their 2-0 Premier League loss against Brentford at the weekend miss out.

Only Nayef Aguerd and Tomas Soucek keep their place.

West Ham XI: Areola; Kehrer, Aguerd, Zouma, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice, Paqueta; Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma.

Subs: Fabianski, Anang, Johnson, Coufal, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Ogbonna, Emerson, Mubama.

We're back for the second leg of West Ham's Europa Conference League semi-final with AZ Alkmaar, where they carry a narrow aggregate advantage.

There's some big hitters in action in the Europa League too as Roma take on Bayer Leverkusen and Sevilla face Juventus.

Plenty to play for and some decent games to follow.