Back Eintracht Frankfurt for Europa League glory in Wednesday’s final against Rangers.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Looking at the best sportsbook sites, we can see that the German team are the strong favorite going into this final. Eintracht Frankfurt are priced at around +130 with most sportsbooks, while their Scottish rivals Rangers can be backed at +210, and the normal time draw is a +230 shot.
How They Got to the Final
Eintracht Frankfurt avoided the knockout round playoffs by going undefeated in their first-round group. They had to work hard to beat Real Betis in the Round of 16, but their biggest win came against tournament favorites Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
The Catalan giants drew 1-1 in Frankfurt but were ousted in the return leg at Camp Nou, where they conceded three goals without reply in front of their stunned fans. Frankfurt won the game 3-2 and advanced to the semi-final, where they defeated Premier League West Ham United thanks to a crucial away leg victory and a narrow 1-0 home win.
Rangers, although being Scottish champions, were not expected to move beyond the first round of the competition, given their modest record in this tournament. They finished second in their group, though only one point ahead of Sparta Prague, but caused a major shock in the knockout round playoffs when they beat German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund by an aggregate of 6-4 over two legs.
In the Round of 16, they defeated Red Star Belgrade 4-2 before overcoming Braga in extra time in the quarter-finals. They followed this success with another memorable triumph against German opponents, beating RB Leipzig by overcoming a 1-0 first-leg deficit to reach their first European final since 2008.
Europa League History
Eintracht Frankfurt will be competing in only their second European final. However, their first appearance famously resulted in a win. That was back in 1980 when they defeated fellow German team Borussia Monchengladbach to win the UEFA Cup on the away goals rule.
Rangers, on the other hand, have appeared in four European finals but have only been successful in one, the 1972 Cup Winners’ Cup, a tournament which was held for winners of European domestic cup competitions. Their most recent European final appearance was a 2-0 defeat to Zenit St Petersburg in the old UEFA Cup, which has been superseded by the Europa League
The lone meeting between these two sides in European football occurred in 1960 when they were paired together in the European Cup semi-finals. Frankfurt won the tie 12-4 on aggregate, but they were defeated in the Final by a renowned Real Madrid team led by Ferenc Puskas.
Europa League Top Pick
Rangers will be the clear underdogs in this game, despite their achievements thus far in the season, which may work in their favor because they can play without the extra strain of expectation. They also have some truly world-class players on their roster, including captain and right-back James Tavernier, who leads the competition in scoring with seven goals.
Tavernier's goal production may be limited in this game, however, due to his defensive responsibilities. He'll be up against Frankfurt's left-sided attacker Filip Kostic, who has seven assists this season and whose performance against Barcelona was crucial to the Germans' progress. He has the ability to make game-winning plays while keeping Tavernier quiet.
Both teams will have considerable injury worries in this game, which is to be expected after such a long season. Alfredo Morales, a vital scorer for the Rangers, will be absent, while Frankfurt will be without five first-team players, including some important defenders.
Rangers are in better form than the Bundesliga team ahead of this game, but their domestic football is far less demanding. Because this match will be played at a neutral stadium, the Scots will also not be able to rely on Ibrox's intimidating atmosphere, but their opponents have demonstrated that they can generate plenty of noise away from home, as they did against Barcelona.
It promises to be a thrilling encounter, but I believe Frankfurt is the better team and will win in a high-scoring final.
Europa League Total Goals Betting
Last year's Europa League Final between Villarreal and Manchester United was exceptionally low-scoring, given that the previous seven finals had averaged 3.25 goals per game.
It's also worth noting that neither of these sides has been very defensive during the tournament, so this seems like a nice opportunity to bet the Over in the Over/Under 2.5 goals market for the Seville showpiece.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on the Europa League
Check out the leading soccer betting sites below. You can get the best Europa League sportsbook odds when you bet through these betting partners.
