First season of new Europa League format comes to conclusion
On Wednesday, the UEFA Europa League season reaches its culmination with a final between two traditional clubs in the city that is home to the competition’s most successful side.
Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers will square off at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Seville, with the trophy and a coveted place in next season’s Champions League proper on the line.
Here is a breakdown of the club’s respective seasons, previous UEFA club competitions won and what is to happen in the showpiece event on Wednesday night.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Road to Europa League Final: Group Stage, 1st (3-3-0 versus Olympiakos Piraeus, Fenerbahce, Royal Antwerp), Real Betis (3-2, AET), Barcelona (4-3), West Ham (3-1)
Previous UEFA Competition Titles: 1 UEFA Cup, 1979-80
It has been a season of contrasts for Frankfurt, with their Europa League run being the highlight of what has otherwise been a dismal campaign. A win in Seville on Wednesday night will put the 11th place Bundesliga finish and the humiliating 2-0 setback to amateur side Waldohf Mannheim in the DFB Pokal well behind them.
Die Adler showed their potential in the Europa League group stage. Finishing atop a rather tricky group, they then took out Real Betis in the Round of 16 in the 120th minute via a Guido Rodriguez own goal. They then pulled off what is arguably the shock of the tournament in the quarterfinals, eliminating Xavi’s Barcelona. Two wins over West Ham in the semifinals booked Frankfurt a ticket to the final, their first European final in four decades.
As a result of their disappointing Bundesliga showing, Frankfurt did not qualify for Europe domestically. That means the only way Oliver Glasner’s men can partake in continental football come September is by lifting the trophy in Seville.
Martin Hinteregger will play no part on the pitch in the final with the Austrian picking up a season-ending injury in their second leg victory over West Ham. Jesper Lindstrom and Danny da Costa are question marks as they race against time to be fit before kickoff.
Possible starting XI: Trapp – Ndicka, Toure, Tuta – Kostic, Rode, Sow, Knauff – Kamada, Borre, Hauge
Rangers
Road to Europa League Final: Malmö FF (4-2 loss, Champions League 3rd qualifying round), Alashkert (1-0, Europa League playoff round), Group Stage, 2nd (2-2-2 versus Olympique Lyonnais, Sparta Praha, Brøndby), Borussia Dortmund (6-4), Crvena zvezda (4-2), Sporting Braga (3-2 AET), RB Leipzig (3-2)
Previous UEFA Competition Titles: 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1971-72)
Despite failing to defend the Scottish Premiership title, Rangers has had a largely successful season with two finals to come in the space of four days. They will hope to end the campaign with two more trophies, or at the bare minimum the Europa League title, one of the very few trophies this storied club has seldom won. Reaching the final of the competition’s predecessor, the UEFA Cup in the 2007-08 season, the Glasgow club will aim to do one better this time around.
The Gers started off their season in disappointing fashion, falling to Swedish side Malmö back in August. They partially made amends when they edged Armenian champions Alashkert in the playoff stage of this tournament, booking a place in the group stage. They ended up second to Lyon and ahead of Sparta Praha and Brøndby. From there it only got better. Shocking Borussia Dortmund in the knockout playoffs, Crvena zvezda and Sporting Braga fell at the hands of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men in the subsequent rounds before coming from behind to knock out Leipzig.
On the domestic front, Rangers had to settle for second place. That earns them a place in the Champions League third qualifying round in August, the same way they kicked off the current campaign. Winning the Europa League title would allow them to forego the qualifiers and enter the group stage instead.
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Rangers head into the final with a host of injuries. Ianis Hagi was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign months ago. Filip Helander and Alfredo Morelos are also key losses. Kemar Roofe is set to miss the final as well with the Jamaican nursing a knee injury. How van Bronckhorst shuffles his line-up with the lack of attacking options remains to be seen.
Possible starting XI: McGregor – Barisic, Bassey, Goldson, Tavernier – Kamara, Lundstrom, Jack – Kent, Aribo, Wright
Final predictions
As always, my predictions are based on a variety of factors. I like to look at a team’s form, as that is an indicator of confidence level. I also consider home and road records (though here it is not really applicable). Of course, one must keep in mind injuries and suspensions (the latter does not apply here). When it comes to the final stages of UEFA club competitions, one thing I like to point out is what is at stake outside of the trophy. In other words, who needs the title more with regards to returning to Europe next season?
Frankfurt has the advantage in that this is their last competitive match of the campaign. Rangers meanwhile, has a date with Hearts in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday. Moreover, Die Adler has fewer injuries, although Hinteregger’s absence will be a considerable loss.
The interesting thing for Frankfurt here is they have more pressure to win. They can only return to Europe next season by winning the Europa League. Lose in Seville and they will end up watching Rangers, their German counterparts, and others, in European competition next season. Rangers is guaranteed a return to the Europa League next September at the minimum.
So who gets my vote of confidence in this final?
After playing two German opponents this calendar year and pushing past both in impressive fashion, I have to back Rangers . I think they will find a way to work past the injury issues they have and put a dagger in the hearts of Eintracht Frankfurt. Although their season will not end on Wednesday night, I expect them to take the game to Frankfurt and nullify the threats of Kostic and Knauff on the flanks.
The lack of a true No. 9 might just play to Rangers’ advantage as well, as Glasner will have to devise a plan to prepare for that. How well he’ll do so is a different matter. All in all, I feel this is Rangers’ year, and they will rise to the occasion as they have throughout these knockout rounds.
Finally, if I am correct and Rangers win, what happens to the access list?
The answer to that question (for once) is, I am not yet sure. After UEFA revised the list two weeks ago, banning the Russian clubs it is not quite clear what will happen. Either Dynamo Kyiv and Fenerbahce (or Konyaspor) enter the Champions League qualifying a round later than planned, or the third place team in France (at the time of writing belongs to Marseille) moves up to the playoff round. Changes would also be made to the Europa League and Europa Conference League but you can find more on that here.
As for Frankfurt, if they win, no further changes to the access list would be required since they did not qualify for Europe domestically. They would instead join the top seven from the Bundesliga in Europe next season, partaking in Champions League football alongside Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
Kickoff is at 21:00 CET on Wednesday night, with the stakes at its highest. Either Rangers will do one better than they ever have in this competition, or Eintracht Frankfurt will pick up their second UEFA Cup/Europa League crown, the first in the Europa League era. One way or another, whoever ends up on top will clinch their second major European prize.