Rangers vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Europa League final preview: Who will claim the Champions League berth?

Joe Wright

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Rangers vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Europa League final preview: Who will claim the Champions League berth? image

With the likes of Barcelona, West Ham and Napoli competing in the knockout stages, no one predicted this Europa League final.

Rangers, for the first time since 2008, will contest a European final. Awaiting the Scottish side in Seville will be Eintracht Frankfurt, the 1980 UEFA Cup winners who have not reached this stage of a continental competition since.

Many would have predicted an all-German final after Frankfurt and RB Leipzig each secured first-leg advantages in their respective semifinal. Certainly, when West Ham's Aaron Cresswell was sent off after just 19 minutes of the second leg at Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt's progress seemed inevitable. Rafael Santos Borre struck the only goal of the game seven minutes later to seal what proved to be a comfortable 3-1 aggregate-goal victory.

However, Leipzig's 1-0 lead over Rangers evaporated at Ibrox after James Tavernier and Glen Kamara struck in the first half. Christopher Nkunku drew the aggregate score level, but John Lundstram's 80th-minute strike gave Rangers a 3-2 edge that will live long in the memory in Glasgow.

These two sides will now go head-to-head for the right not only to lift the trophy, but to secure an automatic place in the group stage of next season's Champions League. What can we expect from the game?

MORE: When and where is the Europa League final?

Rangers vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Record in European finals

Rangers last reached this stage of a European competition in 2008, when they made the final of the UEFA Cup, the precursor to the Europa League.

Walter Smith's side were beaten 2-0 by a star-studded Zenit side that included future Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin and ex-Bayern Munich man Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.

According to reports, approximately 175,000 Rangers fans descended on Manchester for the final, which took place at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. There were chaotic scenes at the fan area in the city when big screens broadcasting the game stopped working, leading to violence between rival supporters.

Eintracht Frankfurt reached the final of the European Cup in 1960. They eliminated Rangers 6-3 in the semi-finals, denying the team from Glasgow the chance to contest a final in their home city.

The match at Hampden Park remains one of the most famous in the competition's storied history: Frankfurt were defeated 7-3 by Real Madrid, who lifted the trophy for the fifth year in a row thanks to a hat-trick from Alfredo Di Stefano and four goals from the great Ferenc Puskas (photos below).

Frankfurt's next appearance at a European final wasn't until 1980, when they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach in an all-German affair in the UEFA Cup. Fred Schaub's 81st-minute goal in the second leg saw the tie finish 3-3 on aggregate, with Frankfurt winning on away goals.

Alfredo Di Stefano Ferenc Puskas Real Madrid

Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt last time in Champions League

In some ways, it is strange of UEFA to reward the winners of the Europa League by making sure they don't have to play in the competition the following season, but granting the victors a Champions League group-stage spot has undeniably increased the Europa League final's appeal.

Rangers haven't played in the Champions League (beyond the qualifying round) since 2010-11, when they went out after the group stage. Having managed a creditable 0-0 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United — who reached the final that season — Rangers ultimately dropped into the Europa League after managing only six points from six group games.

In the competition's modern format (so, since 1992-93), Rangers have only once progressed beyond the group stage of the Champions League. That was in 2005-06, when they went out to Villarreal on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the Round of 16.

As for Frankfurt, that run to the final in 1960 remains the only time they have ever played in the European Cup or Champions League, so Oliver Glasner's men will feel they are long overdue a return.

MORE: Frankfurt beat West Ham twice to reach Europa League final

Key battle: James Tavernier vs. Filip Kostic

It was fitting that Rangers captain James Tavernier was the man to score the opening goal of the semi-final second leg that got Ibrox believing.

The 30-year-old former Newcastle United defender has taken the concept of a goalscoring full-back to new heights this season, with 16 goals in all competitions from the right side of defence. Seven of those have come in the Europa League, which, remarkably, makes him the competition's top scorer in 2021-22.

Tavernier will have to be careful not to neglect his defensive duties in Seville, though. Facing him down the flank is likely to be Filip Kostic, Frankfurt's flying winger who has provided seven assists this season, the most in the Europa League.

The Serbia international described his performance against Barcelona in the quarter-final second leg as the finest of his career, and if he continues this season's standards against Rangers, it could be a tough night for Tavernier.

Europa League final 2022 betting odds

Not many would have expected Rangers to get as far as the semi-finals, and overcoming RB Leipzig was a momentous result for a team whose manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, only took charge last November.

The odds for the final on May 18 reflect the notion that Rangers have been punching above their weight. Frankfurt are the clear favourites and they are getting short odds for a side that finished 11th in the Bundesliga. 

  UK
(Sky Bet)		 USA
(DraftKings)		 Canada
(Sports Interaction)
Rangers Win +200 +215 +247
Draw +240 +235 +205
Eintracht Frankfurt Win -150 +135 +120

Which club has won the most Europa League titles?

Rangers are one of three Scottish sides, along with Celtic and Dundee United, to reach the final of the UEFA Cup or Europa League. None of them has managed to win it.

Frankfurt are keeping esteemed company, their sole trophy matching the record of Ajax, Manchester United and Bayern Munich in this competition. They have now matched Gladbach and Borussia Dortmund as the only German sides to reach the final at least twice.

The competition's most successful team is, of course, based in the host city of the 2022 final. Sevilla have been to six Europa League finals, winning every one of them, including three in a row from 2014 to 2016.

Most Europa League/UEFA Cup wins by team

Team No. of titles Runners-up Last win
Sevilla 6 0 2020
Inter Milan 3 2 1998
Liverpool 3 1 2001
Juventus 3 1 1993
Atletico Madrid 3 0 2018
Borussia Monchengladbach 2 2 1979
Tottenham 2 1 1984

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe Wright is a Senior Editor at Sporting News, managing global soccer and the UK team. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has extensive experience covering some of the biggest events in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup, which included the final in Moscow.