Rangers’ Europa League final opponents Eintracht Frankfurt in focus

Rangers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final in Seville on Wednesday night.

The Ibrox men have already overcome Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig en route to the showpiece match and must now see off a third German team if they are to land the trophy.

Here, the PA news agency gives the lowdown on Frankfurt ahead of the meeting at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Form

Frankfurt are not in great form. They have just finished 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga and did not win any of their closing eight league matches, a run stretching back to mid-March. They drew their final game 2-2 away to Mainz on Sunday. They have been a different animal in Europe, however, with Real Betis, Barcelona and West Ham their three most recent conquests in reaching the final. They defeated the London side 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final, underlining the threat they pose to Rangers.

Players

Frankfurt do not currently have many potent attackers in their ranks. Rafael Borre, the Colombian striker, is their top scorer this term with just 11 goals. Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada is also a threat, having netted nine times, including in the away victory over West Ham. Serbian midfielder Filip Kostic, who joined from Hamburg four years ago, is also deemed a key man for Frankfurt.

Manager

Oliver Glasner has been in charge of Frankfurt for a year. The 47-year-old Austrian landed the job last summer after an impressive two-year stint as Wolfsburg manager in which he steered them into the Europa League and then the Champions League. His first league campaign at the helm has not gone to plan, with Frankfurt – who were fifth last term – slipping to 11th under Glasner. However, the Europa League run has helped put credit in the bank for a man who began his managerial journey in 2014 with SV Ried, the club at which he spent his entire playing career.

European pedigree

Frankfurt’s only major European honour came in 1980 when they beat fellow German side Borussia Moenchengladbach on away goals in the UEFA Cup final. Their only appearance in the European Cup final brought a 7-3 defeat against Real Madrid at Hampden in 1960. That was the first time a German side had played in the continent’s showpiece match. Frankfurt have not been regular participants in Europe. This is only the fifth season in the 21st century in which they have featured in continental competition. Prior to reaching the final this term, their best run since winning silverware in 1980 was in 2019 when they reached the semi-final of the Europa League before losing to Chelsea.