Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday advanced to their first European final in 42 years after a 1-0 home win over 10-man West Ham United sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory in their UEFA Europa League semi-final.
West Ham had leftback Aaron Cresswell sent off early on and Hammers manager David Moyes was also dismissed from the sidelines with 12 minutes left for kicking a ball at a ball boy.
“Really disappointed. Things didn’t go for us on the night,” Moyes told BT Sport. “Small things didn’t happen, but I am really proud of the players. How they played with 10 men was fantastic. They stayed in it.”
Photo: Reuters
Colombia striker Rafael Borre netted the first-half winner on the night to book Frankfurt a place in the Europa League final on May 18 in Seville, Spain, against Scottish giants Rangers, who won Thursday’s other second leg semi-final 3-1 against RB Leipzig, advancing 3-2 on aggregate..
Frankfurt are also now just one win away from qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since losing the 1959-1960 European Cup final to Real Madrid.
“A dream has finally comes true,” Eintracht club president Peter Fischer said. “This city deserves it. And now we’re going to win this thing.”
Photo: AFP
West Ham missed out on reaching their first major European final since 1975-1976.
“We just played a team that played a similar way to us and it caught us out,” Hammers captain Declan Rice said. “We’re gutted.”
Borre scored just after Cresswell was sent off, leaving the visitors a man down for more than an hour and needing to score twice just to force extra-time.
Photo: AFP
Frankfurt had been dealt an early blow when key defender Martin Hinteregger limped off with a leg injury.
When a long ball put Frankfurt’s Jens Hauge into space, Cresswell pulled back the Norwegian, who went down just outside the area.
Cresswell, who was also sent off in the first leg of their quarter-final against Olympique Lyonnais, was initially only booked, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano brandished the red card after a video review.
Photo: AFP
Moyes, who was angered by that decision, responded by bringing on defender Ben Johnson for Manuel Lanzini.
Yet Frankfurt went ahead in the 26th minute.
When the hosts attacked down the right flank, Ansgar Knauff’s cross found Borre, who fired home unmarked in the area.
Dogged defending in the second half restricted Frankfurt to just a handful of chances for Knauff and Filip Kostic, who caused havoc on the left.
West Ham had chances of their own and as the visitors pushed for an equalizer, Manzano banished Moyes to the stands after the Scot lost his temper.
“I kicked a ball back at a ball boy, so I apologize for that,” the former Everton and Manchester United boss said. “He threw it very softly at me.”
Frankfurt, who lost to Chelsea on penalties in the 2018-2019 Europa League semi-finals, are into their first European final since winning the UEFA Cup in 1979-1980.
“That was an evening you never forget,” Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner said. “The squad was exceptional.”
CONFERENCE LEAGUE
AFP, ROME
Tammy Abraham on Thursday fired AS Roma into the inaugural final of the UEFA Europa Conference League with the only goal in a 1-0 win over Leicester City, putting the Italian side through 2-1 on aggregate.
Abraham smashed home a powerful header in the 11th minute at a bouncing Stadio Olimpico in Rome to put Jose Mourinho’s team into their first European final in more than three decades, the first of the new competition.
They are to play Feyenoord in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on May 25 after the Dutch side prevailed 3-2 on aggregate against Olympique de Marseille after the other second leg semi-final finished in a goalless draw.
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