Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt beat Rangers on penalties to win the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League and reach next season’s Champions League on a dramatic night in Seville.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Rangers (Frankfurt win 5-4 on pens.)
Goals: 0-1 Aribo (57’), 1-1 Borre 69’ (assist: Kostic)
Unbeaten on their way to their first European final since winning the 1979/80 UEFA Cup, Frankfurt were the better side for long periods in the first half. Allan McGregor was made to work early on by Daichi Kamada, before pulling off a spectacular diving save to keep out Ansgar Knauff. Joe Aribo and Filip Kostic exchanged presentable chances, with Kevin Trapp eventually called into action nine minutes from the break, the Frankfurt No.1 tipping over John Lundstram’s looping header from a corner.
Eintracht picked up where they left off upon the restart as Jesper Lindstrom saw a deflected shot drop agonisingly wide of the upright. Aribo broke the deadlock against the run of play following a defensive mix-up, but Frankfurt were behind for less than 12 minutes. After further openings for Lindstrom and Kamada, Borre capitalised on hesitant defending to turn in a trademark Kostic cross. Kostic flashed another inviting cross into the danger zone in the 89th minute, but Rangers survived to book extra-time.
Borre threatened to punish a mistake by Calvin Bassey when the contest resumed, but the Rangers defender made amends with a vital recovery challenge. Knauff then shot over and substitute Ajdin Hrustic dragged wide either side of a long-range strike from Borna Barisic, hit straight down the throat of Trapp. Kristijan Jakic sent a dipping effort just over, before Trapp pulled off a sensational point-blank save from Ryan Kent and thwarted a James Tavernier free-kick with the final action of extra time. Trapp saved from Aaron Ramsey at the Rangers end, while Frankfurt scored all five of their penalties to seal the trophy.
Teams
Frankfurt: Trapp - Toure, Tuta (Hasebe 58'), Ndicka (Lenz 100') - Knauff, Sow (Hrustic 106'), Rode (c) (Jakic 90'), Kostic - Lindstrom (Hauge 70'), Kamada - Borre
Unused subs: Grahl, Lammers, Ache, Chandler, Da Costa, Barkok, Paciencia
Out: Durm (ineligible), Hinteregger (thigh), Ilsanker (ineligible), Ramaj (knee)
Coach: Oliver Glasner
Rangers: McGregor - Goldson, Lundstram, Bassey - Tavernier (c), Jack (Davis 74'), Kamara (Arfield 91'), Barisic (Roofe 117') - Wright (Sakala 74') (Ramsey 117'), Aribo (Sands 101'), Kent
Unused subs: McCrorie, McLaughlin, Diallo, Balogun, King, Lowry
Out: Hagi (knee), Morelos (thigh), Helander (foot), Ofoborh (heart)
Coach: Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Match and homecomining celebrations - as it happened!
The wonderful people at 442oons have recreated Frankfurt's Europa League victory for your entertainment.
Frankfurt's Oliver Glasner is the first Austrian coach to win a major European trophy since Ernst Happel, who won the European Cup with Hamburg in 1983.
Frankfurt are celebrating their first European title in 42 years. They'll also be playing Champions League football next season for the first time since losing the 1960 European Cup final.
The sun is shining in Frankfurt, with fans packed into the city's Römerplatz to greet the Frankfurt players and staff.
It's the morning after the night before. Freshly minted UEFA Europa League champions Frankfurt are back in Germany's financial capital after beating Rangers on penalties in Seville. Let's get this party started!
Relive a momentous night for Frankfurt in Seville...
It's been a historic night for Eintracht Frankfurt, and you can read all about how the action unfolded with our match report, which is now at the top of the bundesliga.com homepage. As the Eagles prepare to lift the trophy we're signing off for the night, possibly to catch a late flight to Frankfurt and join the party. Thanks for tuning in and catch you next time!
They'll probably commission a new Kevin Trapp statue over in Frankfurt tomorrow morning, after those two immense saves - one to deny Kent in the dying minutes of extra time, and the other to keep out Ramsey's penalty in the shoot-out. And of course it was Rafael Borre who kept the Eagles alive with his 69th-minute equaliser, before slotting home the winning spot-kick. That duo will take the headlines, but the entire squad and staff deserve praise for this remarkable achievement.
Wow! Incredible scenes in Seville, and of course it had to be Rafael Borre to finish it off. Forty-two years after their last European title, the Eagles have done it again. They become the first German side to lift the Europa League in its modern format. There's going to be some party in Seville tonight, matched only by the one in Frankfurt!
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT WIN THE EUROPA LEAGUE!!!!
In off the post! But the Frankfurt fans are going to blow the roof off this place if Borre scores now...!
Big pressure here.
He squeezes it under McGregor! Frankfurt have the advantage, 4-3 after four penalties each.
Not a confident penalty from Ramsey, who only came on late in extra time... can Kostic take advantage?
Saved by Kevin Trapp!
In off the post! That's 3-3 after three pens each. Are we going to get a repeat of last season's epic?
Powerfully struck, out of Trapp's reach. 3-2 Rangers.
Slotted into the bottom left corner. Four excellent penalties so far, 2-2.
Top corner. 2-1 to Rangers.
Coolly done by the Frankfurt man. 1-1 after one penalty each.
Rangers lead 1-0.
The shoot-out will be taking place at the Rangers end of the stadium, and the Scottish side are first up! Tavernier.
Incredible late drama in Seville, with that phenomenal save from Kevin Trapp to keep Frankfurt alive. Will that give the German keeper a psychological edge in the coming shoot-out? We shall find out very shortly...
Tavernier lines up a free-kick... it's heading for the top corner, but Trapp anticipates well and saves. We're going to penalties!
Rangers should win it! Roofe gets to the byline and crosses for Kent, but Trapp somehow keeps out his shot from point-blank range! Incredible! On the follow-up, Davis fires just over. What a let-off for the Bundesliga side!
Or maybe not! The Frankfurt substitute connects beautifully with a long-range effort, but it whistles just over the crossbar. That would have been a spectacular winner!
Since the Europa League came into being in 2009, there have been two penalty shoot-outs to settle the final. Sevilla beat Benfica in 2014, and Villarreal defeated Manchester United last season. It looks like we're heading for a third...
Frankfurt respond as Hrustic, who has just replaced Sow, pulls one wide of McGregor's post. The shooting accuracy just hasn't been there for the Eagles tonight - 20 attempts, still just four on target.
Rangers come at Frankfurt from the kick-off, and Barisic forces Trapp into making a good save.