Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, close to a 100% German final

Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig head into the Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday (7:00 p.m. GMT) as favorites, respectively against West Ham and Glasgow Rangers, with the possibility of a first 100% German final since 1980.

Eintracht Frankfurt has already won the first leg against West Ham 2-1, while Leipzig beat Scottish Rangers 1-0 at home and now goes to Glasgow.

The two Bundesliga formations can overshadow the early Champions League exits of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who have disappointed this season.

Eleventh of its championship, Eintracht has revolutionized the Europa League. The team from Frankfurt won the only final of this competition between German representatives in 1980, against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

After having eliminated FC Barcelona, ​​the great favorite, in the quarter-finals, they took another important step at West Ham’s ground in the first leg of the semi-finals.

But the “Hammers” have not said the last word: “We need to be vigilant in the set pieces and their counterattacks. It will be a special game,” West Ham’s Czech Vladimir Coufal warned.

RB Leipzig, who only reached the Bundesliga in 2016, are looking for the first European final in their young history. The route to Seville goes through a last trip to Ibrox Park in Glasgow.

Rangers, estranged from their rival Celtic FC for the title of Scottish champion, bet on the Europa League, a competition in which they played the 2008 final (lost at the Manchester City stadium against Russian Zenit Saint Petersburg by 2 -0).

Germany is the fourth country in number of titles in the competition (including its former UEFA Cup name), with six crowns, surpassed by Spain (13), England (9) and Italy (9).

Scotland have reached three tournament finals, without winning any titles.

In the third continental club competition, the Europa Conference League, AS Roma also rely on this tournament to save a difficult season at the national level, as the club failed to qualify for the next Champions League.

The tie achieved in the first leg against English Leicester (1-1) makes the Italians dream of the final in this new competition.

In the other semi-final of the first edition of this competition, the French Olympique de Marseille will try to qualify for the final at home against Feyenoord Rotterdam, after the Dutch won the first leg 3-2.

— Schedule for the Europa League and Europa League Conference semi-final second legs:

– Europa League

– Thursday:

(19h00 GMT) Glasgow Rangers (SCO) – RB Leipzig (GER) (Ida: 0-1)

Eintracht Francfort (GER) – West Ham (ENG) (Ida: 2-1)

– Europa League Conference

Thursday:

(19h00 GMT) AS Roma (ITA) – Leicester (ENG) (1-1)

Marsella (FRA) – Feyenoord Rotterdam (NED) (2-3)

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