The UEFA Europa League final is set – meet the two sides in contention for the silverware this season.
Frankfurt
Why they can win it
Eintracht Frankfurt love this competition – they won it as the UEFA Cup in 1980 and there is a real buzz about the club, the city and the whole region come Thursday nights. The Europa League brings out the best in Daichi Kamada, whose goal earned a slender semi-final first-leg lead against West Ham that proved such a significant step towards this final, and it seems to have rubbed off on the rest of Oliver Glasner’s team too.
UEFA ranking: 27
How they qualified: Group D winners (W3 D3 L0 F10 A6), 3-2agg aet vs Betis (R16), 4-3agg vs Barcelona (QF), 3-1agg vs West Ham (SF)
Top scorer: Daichi Kamada (5)
Last season: did not feature in UEFA club competition
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: winners (1979/80)
Campaign so far
With three wins and three draws, Frankfurt came through the group stage unbeaten, but Fenerbahçe, Olympiacos and Antwerp all gave them tough games, and they then needed extra time to see off Real Betis in the round of 16. The quarter-final success against Barcelona, especially the 3-2 return-leg win at the Camp Nou, will live long in the memory. The fact they triumphed at West Ham in the first leg of the semi-finals showed their exploits in Spain were no fluke before they finished the job at home.
How they play
Frankfurt are often best when they can sit back a little, ceding possession and then pouncing on the break. They tend to create more chances against the bigger teams (see that tie against Barcelona), while they have a harder time during build-up play, though they have occasionally produced brilliant moments there as well.
Key player: Filip Kostić
Flying left-back Kostić is a real danger man, with plenty of opponents choosing to double-mark him. His crosses are precise and threatening, providing plenty of assists, and his left foot delivers a fierce shot which has already brought goals against Betis and Barcelona.
Coach: Oliver Glasner
In his first year at Frankfurt after arriving from Wolfsburg, the Austrian – who led Wolfsburg into the UEFA Champions League last season – came in for criticism after his side made a slow start to the season but has won over fans and pundits with his honesty and down-to-earth demeanour.
Did you know?
Frankfurt are only the third team to reach the final unbeaten; Chelsea (in 2018/19) and Villarreal (last season) both ended up winning the trophy from a similar position.
Rangers
Why they can win it
Having ousted much-fancied Borussia Dortmund 6-4 on aggregate in the knockout play-offs, Rangers have continued to impress. Defensively resilient – as detailed in our semi-final first-leg match analysis – and always dangerous on the counter, the Light Blues are capable of beating any team on their day.
UEFA ranking: 34
How they qualified: Group A runners-up (W2 D2 L2 F6 A5), 6-4agg vs Dortmund (KO), 4-2agg vs Crvena zvezda (R16), 3-2agg aet vs Braga (QF), 3-2agg vs Leipzig (SF)
Top scorer: James Tavernier (7)
Last season: round of 16 (L 3-1agg vs Slavia Praha)
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: runners-up (2007/08)
Campaign so far
After a slow start in the group stage Rangers’ campaign really took off in the knockout stages when they announced their arrival with that statement victory over Bundesliga giants Dortmund. Subsequent wins against Crvena zvezda and Braga left them in sight of next month’s final and their second-leg comeback at a bouncing Ibrox in the last four sealed a first European final for 14 years.
How they play
While Steven Gerrard invariably stuck with a 4-3-3 formation, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has introduced more variety to Rangers’ play. The Dutchman tends to favour a 4-2-3-1 line-up but can also revert to a back three with wing-backs supporting a lone striker.
Key player: James Tavernier
With seven goals to his name, captain Tavernier has been the Rangers talisman in Europe this season. All his goals have come in the knockout stages, including two against Braga in the quarter-finals and the opener against Leipzig in the semi-final second leg
Manager: Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Van Bronckhorst appeared on a hiding to nothing coming in halfway through the season to succeed Gerrard, and while the domestic championship looks to be heading back across the city to Celtic, hero status is assured after guiding the Ibrox side to this final.
Did you know?
Allan McGregor holds Rangers’ all-time European appearances record with 103 matches.
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