Frankfurt dispatch Barcelona in Europa League

Barcelona 2-3 Eintracht Frankfurt (Frankfurt win 4-3 on agg.)
Goals: 0-1 Kostic (pen. 4'), 0-2 Borre (assist: Kostic) 37', 0-3 Kostic (assist: Kamada) 67', 1-3 Busquets (90'+3), 2-3 Depay (pen. 90'+11)
Red card: N'Dicka (90+10)

The tie poised at 1-1 following the first leg, Borre made Frankfurt's intentions clear with a shot inside the first 30 seconds, and the guests got the start they would have dreamed of when Jesper Lindstrom was hauled down inside the penalty area and Kostic dispatched the resultant spot-kick past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The sizeable support from Frankfurt were in raptures, as Barca were ruptured. Ansgar Knauff's goal in the first leg was one of the most spectacular in the Europa League this season, but Borre raised the bar and the volume a notch with the sweetest of strikes from 25 yards which ter Stegen could not get near, as Frankfurt doubled their lead. Not wanting to be outdone, Knauff tried to match Borre, but sent his sizzling shot just over the crossbar.

Barca emerged for the second half without the injured Pedri, but with a greater urgency in their game. Dembele and another former Borussia Dortmund forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, tried to reduce the arrears, but it was their goalkeeper ter Stegen who kept them in the tie with a save from Lindstrom. There was nothing the former Borussia Mönchengladbach keeper could do to prevent Kostic from adding a third midway through the second half, however, with the Serbian's strike placed perfectly into the far corner. Another former Foal, Luuk de Jong, was thrown on as a fourth forward for Barca, but the cheers continued to come from the huge following of Frankfurt fans, even when Sergio Busquets turned the ball in from close range; VAR ruled it out for offside. Busquets got his goal just after nine minutes of stoppage time were shown and Memphis Depay cut the lead again with a penalty in the 11th minute of stoppage time, but it was too late for the Catalans. They simply could not cope with a fervent Frankfurt side, who took an emphatic step closer to Seville with an historic victory.

• Eintracht join RB Leipzig in the last four, with an all-German final a possibility.
• Borre has a team-leading nine goals in all competitions in 2021/22, but this was only his second in Europe in 15 outings.
• Kostic is the 2021/22 Europa League leading assist provider, with five.
• Frankfurt’s overall record against Spanish opposition has them very much on top: P12, W6, D4, L2.
• Eintracht reached the semi-finals in 2018/19, losing on penalties to eventual winners Chelsea.
• Barcelona are now winless in their last five meetings with Bundesliga clubs (D1, L4), and have won only one of their previous seven (D2, L4).

Line-ups

Barcelona: Ter Stegen – Mingueza (Dest 61'), Araujo, Garcia (L. de Jong 70'), Alba - Gavi, Busquets (c), Pedri (F. de Jong 46') - Dembele, Aubameyang (Traore 61'), Torres (Depay 80')
Unused subs: Neto, Tenas, Puig, Gonzalez, Balde
Out: Alves (ineligible), Fati (hamstring), Pique (groin), Roberto (hamstring), Umtiti (broken toe)
Coach: Xavi

Frankfurt: Trapp (c) – Toure (Hasebe 90'+9), Hinteregger, N’Dicka - Knauff (Chandler 90+9'), Jakic, Rode (c) (Hrustic 80'), Kostic - Lindstrom (Hauge 80'), Kamada – Borre (Ache 90')
Unused subs: Grahl, Horz, Lammers, Da Costa, Lenz, Barkok, Paciencia
Out: Ramaj (knee), Sow (knee), Tuta (suspended)
Coach: Oliver Glasner

As it happened!