If you had offered David Moyes a draw at kick-off, he would most certainly have taken it. If you had offered him a narrow defeat, he would probably have taken that too. 

West Ham nearly had both, but two late Bayer Leverkusen goals means they face an uphill task of keeping their European dream alive.

Leverkusen’s 33 shots to West Ham’s one told the story. They had done well to keep the now 42-game unbeaten side at bay for 83 minutes before substitute Jonas Hoffman’s volley finally broke the deadlock. 

Victor Boniface, another substitute, then added a second in the 91st minute.

Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso had been asked about miracles before kick-off. What is greater - his former side Liverpool’s comeback in the 2005 Champions League final or going the season unbeaten with his current club? 

Victor Boniface scored Bayer Leverkusen's second goal in their 2-0 win over West Ham

Jonas Hofmann put the Bundesliga leaders ahead with seven minutes left to play

West Ham have a mountain to climb in the second leg at the London Stadium next week

Why can we not have two, he had replied. On this evidence, there is no reason why he cannot.

Moyes would not go so far as to say his team needs a miracle at the London Stadium next week, but they will certainly need a performance for the ages to do what no other side has managed this term.

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS 

Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Kovar 6, Stanisic 6.5 (Hincapie 66, 6), Tah 5, Tapsoba 6.5, Frimpong 6.5 (Tella 67, 6), Xhaka 7, Palacios 6.5, Grimaldo 7, Wirtz 7, Adli 6.5, Schick 6.5

Subs not used: Hradecky, Lomb, Kossounou, Arthur, Andrich, Puerta, Iglesias

Booked: None

Goals: Hoffmann (83), Boniface (90+1)

Manager: Xabi Alonso

 

West Ham (3-4-2-1): Fabianski 8, Mavropanos 7, Zouma 7, Cresswell 6.5, Coufal 7, Soucek 6.5, Ward-Prowse 6.5, Emerson 6.5, Kudus 6.5, Paqueta 6, Antonio 7

Subs not used: Anang, Knightbridge, Ogbonna, Casey, Cornet, Earthy, Orford, Ings, Mubama

Booked: Paqueta, Emerson

Manager: David Moyes

 

Referee: Artur Dias

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They will have to do it without Lucas Paqueta, whose first half yellow card means he is suspended for the second leg. 

Emerson’s booking in the second means he too will miss next week’s game. It is unclear whether top scorer Jarrod Bowen, who missed last night due to injury, will be back and his absence last night was keenly felt.

‘We know we are playing a good team but we are not out of the tie,’ Moyes said. ‘If we can get that first goal it will make a difference.

‘We were aware of them [Leverkusen] scoring late goals in other games and they put us under intense pressure and we found it difficult.’

The Bay Arena has become a cauldron for opposition teams and a vociferous atmosphere greeted Moyes’ players at kick-off. It was not a surprise to see the hosts dominate possession in the early stages.

The Hammers knew their best opportunities were likely to come on the counter-attack and that they would have to take them when they came along. 

Mohammed Kudus should have done better when he was played in by Antonio, but could only send a weak shot straight at goalkeeper Matej Kovar.

Lukasz Fabianksi was a busy man at the other end and made a superb stop to push Alex Grimaldo’s long-range effort around the post. Paqueta was then booked for a needless foul on Amine Adli. 

Moyes called the Leverkusen bench a ‘disgrace’ for the way they reacted to his foul, but it looked a stonewall yellow on replays. The Brazilian was lucky not to see a second for another foul on Florian Wirtz.

Fabianski was responsible for West Ham going into half-time at 0-0, with two fine stops to deny Patrik Schick and Edmond Tapsoba.

The pattern of Leverkusen dominating the ball continued after the break, with the hosts camped in their opposition’s half.

Lukasz Fabianksi (right) was a busy man as Leverkusen piled on the pressure 

David Moyes must conjure another famous European night in the second leg 

Lucas Paqueta will miss the second leg next week after receiving a yellow card on Thursday

Fabianski was called upon again to make a brilliant one-handed save to keep out Schick’s header at the near post.

But he was finally beaten in the 83rd minute. West Ham failed to clear their lines from a corner and the ball dropped to Hoffman, who hit a first time volley past a crowded box and Fabianski.

Leverkusen smelled blood and, after Nayef Aguerd, Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek all blocked efforts on the line, Boniface finally converted a second, heading in Hofmann’s cross from inside the box.

‘We were playing a Champions League team and a good one at that,’ Moyes said. ‘We will have to come up trumps next week.’ He is not wrong.