Glasgow Rangers will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final in Seville after both clubs got through tough semi-finals against Red Bull Leipzig and West Ham United respectively. A position in the Champions League group stages as a seeded club awaits the winner.
Europa League Final Preview: Rangers vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Frankfurt
UEFA ranking: 27
How they qualified: Group D winners (W3 D3 L0 F10 A6), 3-2agg aet vs Betis (R16), 4-3agg vs Barcelona (QF), 3-1agg vs West Ham (SF)
Top scorer: Daichi Kamada (5)
Last season: did not feature in UEFA club competition
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: winners (1979/80)
How they play
Frankfurt are often best when they can sit back a little, ceding possession and then pouncing on the break. They tend to create more chances against the bigger teams (see that tie against Barcelona), while they have a harder time during build-up play, though they have occasionally produced brilliant moments there as well.
Key player: Filip Kostić
Flying left-back Kostić is a real danger man, with plenty of opponents choosing to double-mark him. His crosses are precise and threatening, providing plenty of assists, and his left foot delivers a fierce shot which has already brought goals against Betis and Barcelona.
Rangers
Highlights: Dortmund 2-4 Rangers
UEFA ranking: 34
How they qualified: Group A runners-up (W2 D2 L2 F6 A5), 6-4agg vs Dortmund (KO), 4-2agg vs Crvena zvezda (R16), 3-2agg aet vs Braga (QF), 3-2agg vs Leipzig (SF)
Top scorer: James Tavernier (7)
Last season: round of 16 (L 3-1agg vs Slavia Praha)
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: runners-up (2007/08)
How they play
While Steven Gerrard invariably stuck with a 4-3-3 formation, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has introduced more variety to Rangers’ play. The Dutchman tends to favour a 4-2-3-1 line-up but can also revert to a back three with wing-backs supporting a lone striker.
Key player: James Tavernier
With seven goals to his name, captain Tavernier has been the Rangers talisman in Europe this season. All his goals have come in the knockout stages, including two against Braga in the quarter-finals and the opener against Leipzig in the semi-final second leg.
Who Wins
This has been a magical European season for Rangers, who have knocked off Dortmund and Leipzig to get to Seville. But I think that Frankfurt is a better team as we have seen as they have knocked off Real Betis, Barcelona and West Ham in their route to the final.
I expect a lot of broken Scottish hearts in Spain as I expect Frankfurt to win 3-1.
Europa League Final Tickets
- Rangers vs Eintracht Frankfurt – Buy Europa League Tickets
