Van Bronckhorst’s Rangers Go for European Glory

Van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side will battle Eintracht Frankfurt for the Europa League after beating RB Leipzig in the semis

Rangers may end their season with a dream European trophy as they face Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of the Europa League on Wednesday evening in Seville.

The Scottish side fought back in the semi-final after trailing 1-0 in the first leg against RB Leipzig. Goals from James Tavernier and Glen Kamara turned the tie on its head within 25 minutes and despite Nkunku’s equaliser, John Lundstrum got the vital winner for the Glasgow side.

As the referee blew the final whistle at Ibrox, the already raucous crowd roared even louder and will be hoping there is more happiness to come.

Before beating RB Leipzig, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men had already seen off Borussia Dortmund, who finished 27 points ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt, on their way to the final and will back themselves to win again.

But their opposition will be no walk in the park. They have also waited almost half a century for more European glory and beat off Xavi’s Barcelona side and an excellent, in-form West Ham. Eintracht Frankfurt appear to edge Rangers as the bookies favourite.

Cupello ambassador and former Rangers manager Alex McLeish told BBC Radio 5Live: “It’s a wonderful achievement for Rangers.

“Scotland is seen as a small country in world football these days and for Rangers to get to a final, beating a few big German teams along the way is fantastic.

“They face another one now and hopefully they can get another win.”

Rangers have been a balanced side this season, no extremes but just very steady, led by a calm and sensible Van Bronckhorst. But after losing Steven Gerrard earlier in the season, Rangers have struggled to hold on to the league title and have handed it back to rivals, Celtic.

The Dutch manager has taken a more relaxed approach to the side than his predecessor and has reaped the rewards in Europe. He has grown in confidence and enabled his players to attack aggressively, creating a chaotic but highly entertaining style of soccer. Nothing gets the support of the Ibrox faithful more than aggressive attacking and lots of goals.

However, in a neutral stadium for the final, Rangers cannot rely solely on their fans and will have the equally passionate Frankfurt supporters to comprehend with. So a more calm approach will be needed in a one-off tie for glory.

Against a Frankfurt side who have proved they are a potent force with Rafael Santos Borre and Daichi Kamada in the front three, they will have to limit the number of times they are put under such stress.

Van Bronckhorst has experienced it all, an FA Cup, Champions League and World Cup finalist, he will be hoping to use his experience to lead his side to glory. After plenty of success with Feyenoord this is a step up as a manager and a chance to prove his worth.

The game is poised to be a cracker, two exciting but unexpected sides will want to show that they have what it takes to experience European triumph once again.