Amospheric final with an open outcome
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Glasgow Rangers – our tip for the grand final in the Europa League is up for grabs. At first glance, these are not the biggest names in European football, but both teams have already won a European Cup. Eintracht triumphed in the UEFA Cup in 1980 and also reached the final of the National Champions Cup, today’s premier league, in 1960.
The Scots won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972 and reached a European final a further three times. From the tradition of these two clubs alone, it’s quite a final. Moreover, the fans of both teams have shown themselves to be outstanding throughout the international season. Perhaps it will be the most atmospheric final in many years at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville. We can expect there to be a fan invasion towards Andalusia.
Before this campaign in the Europa League, we would not necessarily have bet on Frankfurt and Rangers eventually reaching the final. Eintracht had eliminated big opponents like Fenerbahce Istanbul, Olympiakos Piraeus, Betis Sevilla, FC Barcelona or West Ham United on the way there. If they prevail against such opponents, then a prediction of a cup victory for the Germans in the duel between Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers can certainly be ventured.
Rangers have also had a rocky road to this final, facing the likes of Olympique Lyon, Sparta Prague, Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Sporting Braga and RB Leipzig. Both teams deserved to be in this final and can exploit the last loophole towards the Champions League with a win on Tuesday.
Frankfurt – statistics & current form
If you look at Eintracht’s results in all competitions, you notice that their priorities have shifted further and further towards the Europa League. In the Bundesliga that has just ended, the Hessians only managed eleventh place. If there are to be these grandiose international games involving Frankfurt next season, Oliver Glasner’s team will have to win the Europa League – and would even enter the Champions League for the first time.
Undefeated in the Europa League
That Eintracht has two faces has become abundantly clear in recent months. In the Bundesliga, for example, there has been no victory for eight games. In the Europa League, on the other hand, the Hessians are unbeaten in all twelve matches this season. At least for now, that sounds like you can neglect the odds on a Scottish win after 90 minutes between Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers.
After all, last weekend’s dress rehearsal in the Bundesliga was somewhat successful in the derby in Mainz. In the end, everyone could live with the 2:2 because there was nothing left to play for anyway. At the latest after the final whistle, the preparation for the final started. However, the Hessians had their final training session at home on Tuesday before flying to Andalusia.
Spain in particular has been a very good place for Eintracht this season. After all, there were two away victories in Barcelona and at Betis Sevilla. The Glasner team wants to build on that on Wednesday. Defender Martin Hinteregger, however, will be missing in the final due to a thigh injury. Almamy Toure should be the first alternative. Jesper Lindström will probably be fit in time for the final and possibly displace Jens Petter Hauge from the starting eleven.
Predicted Frankfurt line-up:
Trapp – Toure, Tuta, Ndicka – Rode, Sow – Knauff, Kostic, Lindström, Kamada – Borre – Coach: Glasner
Last matches played by Frankfurt:
Bundesliga
14/05/2022 – Mainz 05 2 – 2 Eintracht Frankfurt
08/05/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 1 Gladbach
Europa League Final Stage
06/05/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 0 West Ham
Bundesliga
03/05/2022 – Bayer Leverkusen 2 – 0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Europa League Final Stage
29/04/2022 – West Ham 1 – 2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Glasgow Rangers – Statistics & current form
For Glasgow Rangers, international business is much more routine than for Eintracht, even though they had to get used to the European Cup again after their insolvency. A European final and the associated chance to enter the group stage of the Champions League is also a very big story for the Scots.
Right-back as goal-scorer
In the national league, Rangers have done much better than Eintracht, although that’s not surprising in Scotland either. They finished second behind local rivals Celtic. At least the qualifying rounds for the top flight have already been reached. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team will also play in the Scottish Cup final against Hearts of Midlothian this weekend. A week couldn’t be much more exciting for a football club.
The rock of the team is captain James Tavernier. The Englishman plays as a right-back for the Scots – which makes it all the more astonishing that he leads the goalscoring charts in the Europa League with seven goals. That’s why we’re already predicting before kick-off between Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers that James Tavernier will also score in the final.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst cannot complain about his team’s form. In the last ten games, there has only been one defeat, at RB Leipzig in the Europa League. Most recently, there have been four victories. Yet Rangers do have their personnel problems. Nnamdi Ofoborh, Ianis Hagi, Filip Helander and, above all, attacker Alfredo Morelos will only be able to watch from the sidelines on Wednesday in Seville due to injury.
Predicted line-up of Glasgow Rangers:
McGregor – Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic – Jack, Lundstram, Kamara – Wright, Aribo, Kent – Coach: van Bronckhorst
Last matches played by Glasgow Rangers:
Premiership Championship Group
14/05/2022 – Hearts 1 – 3 Rangers
12/05/2022 – Rangers 4 – 1 Ross County
08/05/2022 – Rangers 2 – 0 Dundee United
Europa League Final Stage
06/05/2022 – Rangers 3 – 1 RB Leipzig
Premiership Championship Group
01/05/2022 – Celtic Glasgow 1 – 1 Rangers
Frankfurt – Glasgow Rangers Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
The witnesses of the only two duels between Eintracht Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers so far are getting fewer. There were two games between the two rivals in the semi-finals of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in the 1959/60 season. After two victories, the Hessians prevailed in relatively commanding fashion and entered the final.
At that time, the tactics and physicality of the game were completely different. Eintracht won 6:1 at home and also won 6:3 in Scotland. Such results were common then, but today they are the clear exception. In the final 62 years ago, however, the Frankfurt side were beaten 3:7 by the Real Madrid wonder team around Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo di Stefano.
Frankfurt – Glasgow Rangers Tip
It is a final of the underdogs. But because this final has two unexpected contenders in store, we think it’s completely open. Both teams have already caused one or two surprises this season.
What is clear is that the atmosphere could hardly be better. It is probably the two best fan blocks that will have a vocal duel in Seville. But that doesn’t make the prediction any easier. The Hessians are unbeaten on the international stage this season, while the Scots have lost only one of their last ten competitive matches. It will probably come down to placing a bet on extra time in the clash between Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers.
However, we expect both teams to score and can imagine placing a bet on a goal from James Tavernier, the best scorer in the Europa League. Nevertheless, we think it is possible that Eintracht will win the title – perhaps after 90 minutes, but possibly only in extra time or a penalty shootout. However, we shy away from the risk and have therefore decided to play the betting odds on goals from both teams in the final between Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers.
