Nine places and 23 points. That is the gap separating Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga table. RB Leipzig, meanwhile, are five places and 14 points better off.
So if Rangers can sweep both Dortmund and Leipzig aside, why can’t they do the same to an inferior Frankfurt in the Europa League final on May 18th in Seville?
But now is not the time to get carried away. Oliver Glasner’s team still has it’s fair share of talent. The fact that there is no place for Allan McGregor or Ryan Kent in our Rangers vs Frankfurt combined XI should be testament to that.
Kevin Trapp
While quadragenarian Allan McGregor continues to roll back the years in Europe – saving Rangers’ skin during the nerve-shredding round-of-16 triumph over Red Star Belgrade – Oliver Glasner has one of the most in-form shot-stopers in Europe playing at his peak right now.
Trapp, a Germany international formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, almost single-handedly secured a famous win over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in October.
James Tavernier
The top scorer in this season’s Europa League is a right-back. Well, that if you can call James Tavernier a ‘right-back’. Because the long-serving skipper – surely the best £200,000 Rangers will ever part with – spends much of his time patrolling the final third these days.
It was Tavernier’s early strike – his seventh of the knockout phase alone – that set Rangers on their way against Leipzig on Thursday.
Evan Ndicka
Athletic and aggressive, the 22-year-old would surely have picked up a handful of international caps already if he hailed from any nation other than France.
But, in a major blow for Frankfurt and the £17 million-rated Ndicka, his centre-back partner Martin Hinteregger has been ruled out of the final with the most unfortunate and ill-timed muscle injury.
Connor Goldson
Connor Goldson has been the veritable boulder at the heart of Rangers’ rock-solid backline during both the Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst eras. One of the first names on the Gers’ team-sheet ever since his 2018 arrival from Brighton, Goldson’s superb long-range passing and aerial presence makes him a real attacking threat as well as a fine defender.
Calvin Bassey
Not so long ago, Bassey looked all at sea in an unfamiliar centre-back role. Like a fish up a tree, as Paul Merson might say. It’s a credit to Rangers’ Young Player of the Year, then, that Bassey appears to have not only learned the ropes but mastered his new position under Van Bronckhorst.
The 22-year-old produced arguably the finest performance of his senior career in the second leg against Leipzig.
Glen Kamara
The very best midfielders can keep their head when all those around them are losing theirs. Kamara was the coolest man in Glasgow as Scott Wright’s lay-off rolled into his path on the edge of the Rangers box 24 minutes in on Thursday night, curling home a strike that belongs in the Louvre, let alone a European semi-final.
His composure on the ball will be crucial during Rangers vs Frankfurt.
Ryan Jack
If you asked a fleet of world-leading scientists to develop a midfielder tailor-made for big nights in Europe, the prototype would look something like Ryan Jack. A talismanic, tough-tackling presence at the heart of this Gers midfield, Jack is a natural-born leader and it’s no coincidence that the Premiership champions have produced some of their finest performance since his return from a long-term injury.
Filip Kostic
Now, if there was one Rangers player you might have expected to walk into this XI, it was probably Ryan Jack. But Frankfurt have a pretty useful left-winger of their own. In fact, you could argue that Kostic is one of – if not the – most underrated attacker anywhere in European football today.
He has seven goals and 14 assists to his name in 2021/22. Tavernier will need to be at his most defensively diligent with Kostic around.
Joe Aribo
Rangers’ free-wheeling wildcard. If Goldson, Kamara and Jack are the picture of composure and consistency, then Aribo brings something very different to the table. His rabbit-out-of-the-hat tendencies can win games all on their own. Aribo is also a semi-regular source of goals, with eight to his name this term.
Daichi Kamada
Some players are just made for the big occasion. Daichi Kamada is one of those. Hardly a prolific goalscorer in the Bundesliga, the skilful Japanese playmaker always seems to step up in Europe. What’s more, he has a fearsome record against British opposition. Kamara’s recorded crucial efforts against both Arsenal and West Ham in this competition.
- How Rangers’ XI could look in 22/23, including 5 new signings
- How West Ham’s XI could look in 22/23 with 4 new signings
Rafael Santos Borre
With Alfredo Morelos stuck on the treatment table, all eyes will be on another Colombian international centre-forward in Spain. Like Kamada, Borre has saved his finest Frankfurt performances for European football, following up his stunning strike against Barcelona with the second-leg winner against West Ham.
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