West Ham and Aston Villa in European action LIVE: Tielemans doubles Villa’s early lead after Bailey’s early strike with West Ham level at Olympiacos in their Europa League clash in Athens

Pavlidis has the ball in the Villa net but the official raises his flag for an offside in the build-up.

The away side are having a wonderful time so far tonight and could easily add to their tally before the interval.

Chances keep coming for the visitors.

Villa give the ball away on the edge of the area and get a lucky escaoe with Pavlidis firing wide from close range.

The Hammers are enjoying their best spell of pressure in the game. Ward-Prowse has fired in two dangerous deliveries that the home side just managed to clear.

Seconds after squandering a chance, Bailey responded with a fine finish on his weaker right foot from outside the area.

Areola is forced into the first save of the game after a crisp strike from Fortounis.

Alkmaar have been content to sit off Villa as they attempt to build up from the back. The visitors haven’t got a foothold into the tie just yet.

The Hammers have done a good job of keeping the home fans quite so far. They are yet to create a chance but have looked the more confident in the early exchanges.

David Moyes’s team won’t find it easy to get a result in the fierce atmosphere at the Karaiskakis Stadium.

‘[Winning the Conference League] will be very emotional.’ He said ahead of the game. ‘It was my aim when I signed for the club.

‘I left my old club winning trophies and if I manage to bring Villa to the Champions League or a European competition it would be a dream. We did that.

‘I am playing a European competition for Villa. It’s not the Champions League, but it’s still a European competition after 15 years. It’s a good achievement.

‘The next step is to win a trophy or play in the Champions League. I won’t stop until I do it.’

The Hammers have made European competition their bread and butter. In the Premier League form has been decent, if a little patchy.

But in Europe West Ham are unbeaten in 17 games. It is a record that is shared with Manchester City after their victory over Young Boys last night, so Moyes’s team can edge ahead in the historic standings once more by avoiding defeat.

Villa have been carrying themselves like giants of European football in recent weeks, dispatching teams with ease domestically before taking care of business on the continent.

Well, aside from their matchday one defeat to Legia.

Emery’s team are four points off the top of the league with real asiprations of claiming a Champions League spot.

While in the Conference League all four teams in Group E are tied on three points so a win would go a long way to achieving their qualification aims.

GK: Martinez

DEF: Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Digne

MID: McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Tielemans, Bailey

FOR: Watkins

GK: Areola

DEF: Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Emerson

MID: Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Benrahma

FOR: Kudus, Fornals, Ings

To Mail Sport’s coverage of West Ham and Aston Villa’s European clashes this evening. Both English sides are in action in the early slot as the Hammers travel to Greece in the Europa League while Villa take on Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League.

We’ll have the team news, quotes and all the updates when the games get underway in under an hour.

Let’s get going!