Rangers’ nervy 0-0 draw over Alashkert, on a pockmarked pitch in Albania, feels like lightyears ago.
A journey that began in rather inauspicious surroundings will end on the citrus-soaked streets of Seville. And, who knows, perhaps Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be boarding a flight back to Glasgow with a piece of European silverware clutched under his arm.
Rangers are just 90 minutes away from exercising the ghosts of Manchester ‘08, on the 50th anniversary of that night in Barcelona.
And while they do say it’s the hope that kills you, there are a couple of very good reasons why an estimated 100,000 Rangers supporters can head to Andalusia with an air of confidence and an expectation of glory.
No Martin Hinteregger
The Austria international is not only Frankfurt’s finest centre-half, he is also a major part of their tactical blueprint. Hinteregger was colossal in the semi-final victory over West Ham United. His superb reading of the game and aerial prowess, coupled with his trademark, line-breaking passing ensures the former Borussia Monchengladbach man is almost irreplaceable in Oliver Glasner’s starting XI.
Fellow centre-back Tuta is nowhere near as reliable with the ball at his feet. Hinteregger also scored nine goals from centre-back in 2019/20 alone. His absence, thanks to the most ill-timed of season-ending injuries, robs Frankfurt of their biggest set-piece threat.
They’ve beaten better
While Frankfurt deserve plenty of respect for their European exploits – they defeated Barcelona before knocking out West Ham after all – Rangers have already conquered two sides sitting seven and nine places ahead of The Eagles in the Bundesliga table.
Rangers thumped runners-up Dortmund and outplayed an RB Leipzig side who had, until that point, been almost imperious under Domenico Tedesco. Frankfurt, meanwhile, have endured a distinctly average domestic campaign. They head to Sevilla on the back of an eight-game winless run.
Lack of a prolific goalscorer
Dortmund may have been without the irrepressible Erling Haaland in the round-of-16 but Die Scwharzgelben could still field Donyell Malen, Marco Reus and Julien Brandt. Leipzig, meanwhile, boast one of Europe’s most free-scoring footballers; the 2021 Bundesliga Player of the Year Christopher Nkunku.
In contrast, Frankfurt’s top-scorer, Rafael Santos Borre, has just 11 goals in 44 games, even if he did net crucial strikes in both the quarter and the semi-finals. He’s no Sebastian Haller, Ante Rebic or Luka Jovic.
They won’t admit it, of course, but the men from Ibrox would take Santos Borre every day of the week over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jarrod Bowen and former Old Firm nemesis Moussa Dembele.
Rock-solid Rangers
With an average of 20 per game, Frankfurt are one of the most prolific crossers of a ball in this season’s Europa League (WhoScored). And, in Serbian speed-machine Filip Kostic, they have a genuinely outstanding left-winger, one of the most underrated footballers anywhere on the continent.
Fortunately, Rangers have a number of rock-solid centre-halves who tend to thrive with their backs pinned against the wall, even without arguably their best header of a ball in the injured Filip Helander.
Connor Goldson averages five clearances per game in Europe. Calvin Bassey, meanwhile, has been a revelation as a left-sided centre-half in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s back three.
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Classic counter attacks
Ryan Kent tend to saves his most exhilarating performances for the European stage. And Rangers’ wing wizard will be drooling at the prospect of storming at the Frankfurt backline on Wednesday night.
Glasner’s wing-backs, Kostic and Dortmund loanee Ansgar Knauff, are more attackers than they are defenders. If they find themselves caught high up the pitch, Kent will have plenty of wide open space to charge into on the counter.
There aren’t many better players in the competition better than Kent when it comes to turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.
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