BELGIANS dip their chips in mayonnaise, but Danny Ings' first goal in Europe means that Gent will be playing ketchup next week.
West Ham might have surrendered their 100 percent record in the Thursday Night Smorgasbord Cup.
But they answered a call from manager David Moyes for substance and no "vanilla" here.
And the Hammers will be favourites to reach their second European semi-final in as many seasons in the return leg at the London Stadium.
But if Europe is to provide a silver lining at the end of a torrid campaign, Moyes' side will need to play better than this - even if they can take encouragement from the history books. Gent were West Ham's first-ever opponents in Europe almost 60 years ago.
Then, they were known by their French name La Gantoise and Ronnie Boyce's winner in Belgium put the Irons on the road to European Cup Winners' Cup glory.
Since Bobby Moore lifted that trophy at Wembley in 1965, the Hammers have only been to one other European final - 47 years ago - and this is their best chance of ending the drought.
This story is from the April 14, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
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This story is from the April 14, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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