RANGERS HEARTBROKEN AS FRANKFURT WINS EUROPA LEAGUE ON PENALTIES IN A TOUGH MATCH.
Eintracht Frankfurt overcame Rangers 5-4 on penalties in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final, securing a trophy that will never be forgotten in the hearts and minds of their supporters, many of whom weren’t born when Frankfurt last tasted European glory in the UEFA Cup of 1979/80.
The 100,000 Glaswegian voices in and around the stadium arguably rang loudest in the first half, but Frankfurt were in no mood to wilt, and Allan McGregor was called into action numerous times before the half-hour mark, having to magnificently deny a dipping Ansgar Knauff effort on one of the Eagles’ more deadly attacks. In response, Rangers brought themselves back into the game, increasingly threatening via set pieces in a goalless first half.
Building on that late surge before HT, they went 1-0 up early into the second period after a defensive slip from Frankfurt. Hardly able to believe his luck, a weaving Joe Aribo found himself in acres of space, before making no mistake with a rolled finish. Minutes later, he was also a vital influence at the other end, valiantly blocking Jesper Lindstrøm’s fizzed shot on the goal-line just before the hour mark.
However, conditions were perhaps a factor in several lapses of Rangers concentration that followed, and Rafael Borré duly capitalised, storming in to tap home Filip Kostić’s searching cross to level the tie on 69 minutes. Frankfurt were fearless in their push, but the relentless heat meant that the game was played at near walking speed in the closing stages, with both sides looking relieved to hear the FT whistle.
An energy-zapping 30-minute period ensued, and perhaps galvanised by the sheer willpower of the players, both sets of fans attempted to inspire a winner. Chances were understandably thin on the ground, but only a superb stop by Kevin Trapp denied Ryan Kent from sealing immortality for Rangers in the final seconds. Keeping their nerve, Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the trophy after penalties, without even having tasted defeat in this year’s UEL campaign.
Scorer of the earlier equaliser, Borré, did the honours to break Rangers’ hearts and see Frankfurt win a European penalty shootout at the third attempt. In turn, they will enter the UEFA Champions League as one of the top seeded next term, protected at the group stage from the likes of Real Madrid and PSG. Meanwhile, gallant losers Rangers have still only won once on Spanish soil in their history, though they should be proud of their incredible effort, just a decade on from facing fourth-tier oblivion in Scotland.
