Europa League news: German opposition there for the taking as West Ham and Rangers target history

Seb Sternik
4 May 2022

David Moyes and Giovanni van Bronckhorst

The battle for the Europa League final comes to a close as West Ham, Eintracht Frankfurt, Rangers and RB Leipzig conclude their tightly-fought semi-final ties.

An all-British Europa League final is still on the cards as West Ham and Rangers look to overturn narrow deficits against German opposition.

All four semi-finalists failed to win games in their respective leagues at the weekend, which would suggest all four are setting their sights solely on booking their tickets to Seville.

With a Champions League qualifying spot up for grabs for the winning club, the stakes are certainly high going into this final stretch of the season.

Here, we take a closer look at the two semi-finals.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs West Ham (2-1 agg)

West Ham have done brilliantly to keep pace with the Premier League's big hitters for the majority of the year. However, the Irons appear to have run out of steam right at the business end of the season.

David Moyes' men are winless in four and arrive in Germany on the back of three straight defeats.

The Hammers are down to seventh spot in the league and will need to overturn a 2-1 first leg deficit against Eintracht Frankfurt if they are to end the campaign on a high.

With West Ham losing six of their last seven away games, Frankfurt are the favourites going into Thursday's encounter.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean the Bundesliga outfit are not for the taking. On the contrary, Frankfurt come into this fixture having won just two of their last 10 competitive games.

Oliver Glasner's men are more than beatable - something the Hammers will be well aware of following a frustrating first leg.

2021/22 Europa League record

Eintracht Frankfurt

Games: 11

Wins: 6

Draws: 5

Losses: 0

Goals scored: 18

Goals conceded: 11

West Ham

Games: 11

Wins: 6

Draws: 2

Losses: 3

Goals scored: 18

Goals conceded: 7

Rangers vs RB Leipzig (0-1 agg)

Rangers might not be on the same financial footing as their German opposition, nor do they come close to Leipzig's colossal squad market value.

However, the one thing that certainly is in their favour is a fearsome Ibrox atmosphere, capable of cutting down the biggest of challenges.

Bundesliga teams are no strangers to big atmospheres, but the noise in the Scottish capital will be off the charts - especially if Rangers get off to a good start.

Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade and Braga all failed to conquer Ibrox, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will hope that continues when his side look to overturn their one-goal deficit against Leipzig.

The Germans dominated the first leg having enjoyed 67% possession and produced 116 attacks - a massive number compared to Rangers' 35.

Despite this, the difference between the two is just one goal. With that in mind, plus the raucous Ibrox atmosphere, Rangers will feel it is a deficit they can overcome.