Eintracht Frankfurt won the Europa League after beating Glasgow Rangers in Sevilla. The match finished 1-1 after 90 and 120 minutes. Rafael Borre scored Eintracht’s winning penalty after also equalizing in regular time. Aaron Ramsey, an extra-time sub for Rangers, was the only player to miss from the spot. Eintracht came out 5-4 winners of the shootout.
It was Rangers who first took the lead in the game, with Joe Aribo scoring in the 57th minute. Twelve minutes later, Rafael Borre netted to make it 1-1 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. Rangers missed the biggest goal opportunity during the two 15-minute halves of extra time through Ryan Kent, who was denied by Trapp from close-range.
Eintracht won its first continental trophy after 42 years. The Frankfurt team previously conquered the UEFA Cup in 1980. Rangers’ last international trophy came in 1972 when they won the Winners’ Cup. They played a UEFA Cup final in 2008, which they lost to Zenit St. Petersburg, 2-0.
Thanks to their Europa League triumph, Eintracht will be allowed to play in the Champions League group stage next season. They will be allocated a top-seed spot at the draw for the group stage. Eintracht only finished 11th in the Bundesliga. The German league will now have five representatives in next year’s Champions League.
Frankfurt was +2400 to win the Europa League last September
Eintracht captain Sebastian Rode played for 90 minutes, despite having seven stitches on his forehead following John Lundstram’s dangerous challenge in the ninth minute.
“The main thing is to get what you’re after! Everything else doesn’t matter,” the 31-year-old wrote on Twitter.
Eintracht won the Europa League after an undefeated season. The German club stood at +2400 to lift the trophy before the group stage started in September. They went on to beat Betis, West Ham, and FC Barcelona en route to the final.
Talking about his team’s incredible achievement, Frankfurt’s coach Oliver Glasner said “Unbelievable! It was the 13th game in Europe and we didn’t lose one. What the guys have done today and this season, I don’t have the words and I am not often lost for words.”
Kevin Trapp, the Eintracht goalkeeper, said the night in Sevilla was the most intense of his life, despite playing for several years in Paris Saint-Germain’s shirt. “We never gave up, we always believed. It was the most intense experience of our lives. This is not my night. It’s everyone’s night. It doesn’t come down to one player; it comes down to a whole team.”
Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst wished to congratulate his players for their effort: “They gave everything, but in the end, it was a very tight game. It’s a big disappointment. We were so close to winning the trophy. When you win, you have memories that last forever. It hurts to lose this way.”
Rangers will face Hearts on Sunday in the Scottish Cup final.