Eintracht Frankfurt reached their first European final in 42 years by knocking West Ham out of the Europa League, setting up a title game against Scottish club Rangers.
Frankfurt beat 10-man West Ham 1-0 at home to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory in the semi-finals, while Rangers overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg by defeating RB Leipzig 3-1 at a raucous Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow.
It is Frankfurt’s first European final since beating Borussia Monchengladbach in 1980 in an all-German match-up in the Uefa Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League.
Rangers will be playing their first European final since losing to Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup in 2008. The Scottish club is looking for a first European title in 50 years, after winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
In the inaugural Europa Conference League, Jose Mourinho will have a chance to add another trophy to his collection after his Roma set up a final against Feyenoord in new third-tier competition.
Tammy Abraham scored the only goal as Roma beat Leicester 1-0 at home to advance 2-1 on aggregate. Feyenoord held Marseille to a 0-0 draw in France after winning the first leg 3-2.
Early lead
Rangers roared into a 2-0 lead after just 24 minutes in front of a frenzied home crowd. James Tavernier met a cross from Ryan Kent at the far post in the 19th minute for the seventh goal in the competition, and Glen Kamara doubled the lead five minutes later by calmly slotting in a shot from the edge of the area. Christopher Nkunku pulled Leipzig back level on aggregate with a goal in the second half, but John Lundstram then netted the decisive goal in the 81st minute, converting a rebound from close range.
Frankfurt’s progress was more straightforward after Aaron Cresswell was sent off for a last-man foul on Jens Petter Hauge in the 19th minute and Rafael Borre scored seven minutes later to give the team a two-goal cushion on aggregate.
Frankfurt fans flooded the pitch to celebrate after the final whistle. More than 30 arrests were made before the game after supporters of the two clubs clashed in several locations in Frankfurt, police said. The final will be played at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Seville on May 18, with a place in next season’s Champions League also at stake.
Mourinho in tears
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho was left in tears after guiding his side to the final and said Europe’s third-tier competition was like their Champions League.
A first-half header from Tammy Abraham gave Roma a 1-0 win over Leicester City on the night and a 2-1 victory on aggregate to send them through to the inaugural Europa Conference League final on May 25, where they will face Feyenoord.
“This is a giant club without the trophy room in relation to the social dimension of the club. So, this is not a trophy, it’s only the final but it means a lot for them,” said Mourinho.
“Of course I have had bigger moments than this, but I am not feeling for myself, I am feeling for the people and my players. This is our Champions League.”
Mourinho, who took over at Roma in May last year, was in tears as he embraced his coaching staff after the win.
“I shed a tear because my emotion was for everyone who loves this club,” said Mourinho, who has now reached five European finals with four different clubs, having won all his previous ones with Porto, Inter Milan and Manchester United.
Fan violence
Marseille’s chances of overturning their deficit against Feyenoord took a blow when playmaker Dimitry Payet limped off in the 33rd with an injury.
There were also violent clashes between Marseille and Feyenoord fans outside the Stade Velodrome stadium before the game. One video showed a Marseille supporter apparently unconscious on the ground as he was helped by fellow fans, another showed two groups charging at each other shortly before kick-off just outside the stadium.
(Written with inputs from AP/PTI and Reuters)
