Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Rangers summary: Frankfurt win on penalties, score, goals, highlights, Europa League final
Eintracht Frankfurt 1(5)-1(4) Rangers: as it happened
Eintracht Frankfurt 1(5)-1(4) Rangers: summary
Eintracht Frankfurt ended a 42-year wait for European silverware at the expense of Rangers, whose search for glory on the continental stage stretched back even further to half a century. Rafael Santos Borré scored the decisive penalty in a quality shoot-out from the Bundesliga side, who slammed home each of their five spot kicks to give Rangers keeper Alan McGregor little chance of emerging from a sweltering Seville as the hero of the night.
It was a different story for Aaron Ramsey, who was introduced late on by Giovanni van Bronckhorst precisely for the shoot-out and saw his weak effort parried in the middle by Kevin Trapp. Rangers will feel they could have wrapped it up in extra time but the Eintracht keeper stopped everything thrown his way and the German side may feel a pinch of relief among the euphoria having had by far the better of the 90 minutes, converting equal possession into more than double the amount of goal attempts Rangers had racked up.
Joe Aribo handed the Scottish side the lead with a well-taken goal in the second half but a defensive switch-off from Rangers allowed Santos Borré to stab home from close range - the otherwise excellent Calvin Bassey failing to spot the Colombian lurking on his shoulder to meet Filip Kostic's cross.
Rangers have become a genuine force under Van Bronckhorst and while the defeat will be hard to take - and the knowledge that they may not get this close to European glory again for a while - the SPL side can head home with their heads high. Frankfurt's reward, meanwhile, is a place in next season's Champions League, a measure of what an accomplished knock-out side Oliver Glasner has put together on a tight budget, one that finished 11th in the Bundesliga but went through the entire Europa League campaign unbeaten.
Borré, who scored the equaliser and then the winning penalty spoke on the pitch after Frankfurt were presented with the trophy: "So happy, so many emotions. I've dreamt of this. It's amazing for the club, and for me. A European title. I'll remember this for the rest of my life."
Congratulations to Eintracht Frankfurt!
Frankfurt make history in Seville
And another feather in the cap for German football.
And that's it! Heartbreak for Rangers, who miss out in the final again after being on the losing side in 2007-08, and jubilation for Frankfurt, who win the competition for a second time after their triumph in 1979-80, a wait of 42 years for a European trophy!
Santos Borré to win it.... and scores! A fine strike into the roof of the net and the Colombian seals it for Frankfurt!
Roofe.... in off the post! 4-4!
Kostic! He was never going to miss was he? Teh ball is right inside the post and even though McGregor guessed right he couldn't get near it. 4-3...
Aaron Ramsey.... Trapp saves! The Wales international went down the middle and the keeper stood his ground. 3-3!
Kamada... incredible hit, right into the side of the goal, shaving the post, perfect from the Japanese.
Arfield.... another belter! Unstoppable!
Hrustic.... wham! A screamer into the left hand side of the goal!
Steven Davis... scores! A few hearts in mouths there as the Northerm Ireland international went for the top corner but he found it.
Lenz.... scores! 1-1!
And scores! Straight down the middle from the Rangers captain.
Rangers win the toss and the penalty shoot-out will take place at the end of the ground full of blue shirts. Tavernier steps up first for the Scots...
Sudden death it is then. There is an argument in this sort of heat at the tail end of the season just to go straight to penalties but both sides really went for it in extra time, which isn't always the case.
And there's the whistle! Penalties will decide the Europa League final!
Trapp! Tavernier hits a well-struck shot around the wall and the Frankfurt keeper makes another solid save to keep his side in the chase.
One minute added! Rangers free-kick...
Rangers are piling forward now, they can sense Frankfurt are on the ropes and Arfield goes close with a decent effort.
Sakala also heads off with a rueful look, the substitute subbed for Aaron Ramsey, which is surely a penalty ploy from Rangers.
Kemar Roofe is coming on for Rangers as Barisic, who has run himself into the floor, goes down in agony and signals to the bench that that's that for him.
Jakic! What a strike, very difficult to pull off as the ball was not in an ideal position, but the Croatian smacked it true enough and it wasn't far away from sneaking under McGregor's bar.
Kent chances his arm from distance and hits the target but Trapp is well-positioned to make a regulation save.
Frankfurt are incensed as Kamada goes down under a challenge with Bassey but the referee says no dice.
Hrustic! The Australian's first touch is a piledriver from distance that isn't far away from beating McGregor.
Ajdin Hrustic on for Frankfurt for the final 15, Sow makes way.
And there is the whistle! Lots of players hit the deck for treatment on cramp and general knackerdness. It is a scorcher in Seville and extra time is punishment neither side really needed.
Just the one minute added. Barisic goes down under a challenge with Knauff and that will probably do it for the first half of extra time.
Half-hearted appeals for a penalty from Frankfurt as a ball into the area hits Bassey but there wasn't much in it.
James Sands on for Rangers, Joe Aribo off.
Frankfurt change: Evan Ndicka makes way for Christopher Lenz.
Knauff! Another fine gallop down the right from the young full back, who has been quite the revelation for Frankfurt since his arrival from Dortmund, but he can't keep his shot down.
Still plenty of puff out there on both sides but Rangers and Frankfurt are both preparing changes.
Santos Borré! The Colombian leaps on a a defensive error from Bassey and drives into the area but the Nigerian recovers sufficiently to put the striker off his stride and the chance goes begging.
Arfield! The Canadian saw his name in lights there but his effort almost takes out the floods as it rises over the bar.
Frankfurt have a corner, Kostic, who set up their leveller swings it in, but a Rangers player gets a foot on it and hoofs it clear. Agricultural, but effective.
Scott Arfield is the fresh pair of legs for Rangers, on for Glan Kamara
Off we go for the first half of extra-time! I tell you the fans for both teams are going to be hoarse tomorrow, they've kept it going for the entire 90 and are showing no signs of letting up.
It's still incredibly hot out there, and both sets of players are already knackered, so our money is on this being decided by an unfortunate mistake rather than a moment of sublime skill.
And there's the whistle! We go to extra time in Seville!
Barisic slings it in, Frankfurt clear, Barisic slings it in again, Frankfurt clear again. Kostic goes flying in on Goldson and Rangers have a free kick.
Rangers win a throw deep in the Frankfurt half and time is running out for both sides.
Sakala goes down but there was a previous foul on Santos Borré and Frankfurt have a chance to breath.
Five minutes added!
Kent and Aribo try to launch an attack but the legs aren't there for the Rangers pair.
Sakala turns on the afterburners to beat the Frankfurt defence to a long ball but his control deserts him and the German side clear. The Zambian's pace will be a weapon in the closing minutes as Frankfurt push forward.
Kostic! The Serbian almost hits the target from the left with an explosive effort that flashes just wide of the far post!
Just 10 minutes left of normal time in Seville. Time for a hero?
McGregor! A Kostic free-kick bounces in the area and looks dangerous enough for the Rangers keeper to tip it over.
Hauge! A nice link-up between Kamada and Rode but the youngster, on loan from Milan, gets underneath it and scoops his shot over the bar.
Fashion Sakala on for Rangers, some more firepower for Van Bronckhurst's side.
Wright goes into the book for grabbing a hanfdul of Kamada's shirt.
Rangers' back four are caught napping and the Frankfurt striker nips in to toe the ball past McGregor and Frankfurt have equalised moments after Aribo's opener!
Goooooooooooool! Santos Borré! The Colombian levels for Frankfurt!
Kamada! The Japanese forward springs the offside trap and only has McGregor to beat but lofts his effort onto the top of the net!
Goal-scorer Aribo clashes with Touré, and the Rangers player goes into the book.
Tuta, still in shock at letting Aribo in behind him, gets hooked for Hasebe.
That's pretty close to a leveller from Lindstrom from Frankfurt, but it slides just past the post.
Remarkable stuff, after a fairly even first half Frankfurt came out and bossed the start of the second, but it's Rangers who go into the lead, thanks to the power and pace of Aribo, and the fact Tuta fell over as the ball came back to him.
GOAL FOR RANGERS! Aribo gets through after a disastrous defensive mistake and the Frankfurt keeper had no chance of trapping that one!
Frankfurt penalty shout! Santos Borré goes down and it looks like VAR will have a look at this.
Close! Lindstrom lets fly from the edge of the area and it takes a deflection that leaves McGregor stranded but inches just wide of the post!
Back underway in Seville!
Some half time stats. Rangers gradually took control of the ball as the half progressed and had a couple of decent half-chances late on.
And there's the whistle! An entertaining half that Frankfurt definitely took on points but it remains goalless at the break.
Corner for Frankfurt, probably the last chance of the half... Rangers clear and Ryan Jack attempts to go on a run but loses control of the ball.
Barisic puts in a glorious tackle on Knauff to deny the full back a run into the area. Great defending from the Croatian, who had to be inch-perfect there.
Aribo and Wright combine to tee up Ryan Jack but the Scotland midfielder fires well over.
Six minutes added!
Tavernier is fortunate not to go into the book for a clear foul on the halfway line to prevent a Frankfurt break. The ref let that one fly but has a quiet word with the Rangers captain.
Tuta and Aribo get into a tangle in the area, the Nigerian going over, but the ref says there was nothing there.
Rangers have taken the initiative in the last few minutes and taken the game to Frankfurt, who were very comfortable in the opening half hour. The shot count remains 11-1 to the Bundesliga side though.
Another chance for Rangers as Barisic sends in a free and Lundstram draws a save from Trapp. The corner is wasted again though as it clears the area.
Corner for Rangers and the Scottish side will have to take advantage of their height advantage at these set-piece opportunities. The delivery is over the heads of everybody though.
Expect a fair number of xxxx interested in Kostic headlines tomorrow morning. He certainly wouldn't look out of place at Barcelona, for example.
Kostic! What a run! Rangers are loose in possession in the opposition half and the Serbian charges the length of the pìtch and fires just wide. Should have have squared? There was nothing overly promising open so he was fair game to have a pop there.
Kamara! The Finland midfielder is there on the line to clear as Frankfurt swing in a corner. Kostic then hammers the rebound just wide. Rangers are hanging on here.
Rehydration break for the teams. There's an unseasonal heatwave in Spain at the moment courtesy of a hot air bubble pushing up from the Sahara. It's been somewhere between 35º to 40º in Seville today.
Aribo! The Nigerian international gets his first sight of goal on the turn and flashes a shot just wide of the post!
Rangers have their foot on the ball finally but Frankfurt are as effective closing ranks as they are pressing in the opposition half. There is no way through for the blue shirts at the moment.
Knauff! What a run from the right back, who draws a fine save from McGregor! Hard to imagine he was playing for Borussia Dortmund's reserves a few months ago. That was the first proper chance of the game but the veteran keeper was equal to it.
The Eintracht end is not as numerous as the Rangers fans in the stadium but they are in full voice now as their side have the opposition pinned well back. Rangers almost staged a break but Aribo had strayed offside. Other than that, the ball has been almost exclusively in the Rangers half.
Frankfurt's press is causing Rangers serious problems in bringing the ball out. The German side are first to everything at the moment and have racked up three attempts already with the Scots yet to bother Trapp at the other end.
Chance for Frankfurt! Kamada manages to wriggle though the Rangers back line and McGregor just about thwarts the Japan international before making a save from the follow-up. Rangers are looking a bit shaky at the back in the opening exchanges.
Rode is back on his feet, head heavily bandaged a la Terry Butcher, and it looks as though the Frankfurt captain will be ok to continue.
Sebastian Rode is down after getting John Lundstram's studs in his face and Frankfurt are not happy. It seemed accidental but if you have your boot at head height a card seems a reasonable outcome. Lundstram, for what it's worth, apologises. Movement on the Eintracht bench.
Rangers break through Wright and there's an early chance for Aribo to get a sniff of goal but the Bundesliga side close ranks.
Eintracht putting Rangers under early pressure, Kamada and Kostic both probing from the edges of the area. Rangers manage to clear but there are some early nerves in the Scottish side's back four.
We're off! Frankfurt get the ball rolling in the Sánchez Pizjuán!
The teams are out now and we're just a couple of minutes from kick-off!
The cup has been brought out onto the pitch and the pre-game festivities are underway.
The atmosphere is building in the Sánchez Pizjuán.
That's quite an eye catching stat: Frankfurt have won just three of their last 13 games in all competitions, and those three have all been in the Europa League.
Rangers starting XI confirmed
It look as though Van Bronckhorst is going with five in midfield with Joe Aribo acting as a forward in the absence of Alfredo Morelos. The Scottish side are unchanged from their semi-final victory.
Frankfurt starting XI confirmed
Few surprises from Oliver Glasner, with Kostic and Knauff patrolling the wing-back positons and Rafael Santos Borré leading the line.
Referee Slavko Vincic will take charge of Eintracht Frankfurt vs Rangers, in what is the Slovenian’s first appointment to the showpiece game of a major European club competition.
Added to FIFA’s list of international referees in 2010, the 42-year-old has refereed 20 games in the Europa League since making his debut in the continent’s second-tier club tournament in 2014. His previous biggest Europa League assignment was the first leg of Arsenal and Villarreal’s semi-final tie in 2020/21.
Filip Kostic and Ansgar Knauff will likely be two of Eintracht Frankfurt’s biggest threats against Rangers. The two full backs have been in excellent form in 2022 and the Serbia international tops the charts in Europe for the most crosses put in for his side, ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Rangers have been to the Europa League final once before, in 2007/08, when the competition was still the UEFA Cup. They lost 2-0 in Manchester to a Zenit St Petersburg side coached by former Gers boss Dick Advocaat.
Since then, the club has had to recover from liquidation and demotion to the fourth tier of Scottish football in 2012.
Rangers: route to the final
An even more surprising finalist, Rangers have not won anything on a continental scale for 50 years, when they lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup after beating Dynamo Moscow in 1972. Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's side had to get through the playoff round to reach the last 16, knocking out Borussia Dortmund 6-4 on aggregate, then ticked off Red Star Belgrade, Braga and Leipzig to reach the final.
Frankfurt: route to the final
The German side hardly set the Bundesliga alight this season, finshing in 11th, but really found their stride in the Europa League. Frankfurt knocked off Betis, Barcelona and West Ham en route to the final, where they will seek to secure their first European title since the 1980 UEFA Cup, when they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach in the final.
It's fair to say that few punters will have foreseen these two teams reaching the final of the Europa League this year. There were some traditional big guns in from the start and then the parachute sides from the Champions League made the knock-out stage a difficult one for any side to navigate, with the likes of Barcelona, Dortmund, Napoli, Lazio, Porto and perennial champions Sevilla all in the mix.
Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of the Europa League final from Seville, where Eintracht Frankfurt will take on Rangers to be crowned champions, Kick-off is at 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT (21:00 local time).