Frankfurt after racing to a 3-0 lead held on to win on 4-3 goals aggregate and set up a Europa League semi-final against West Ham
By Kehinde Okeowo
Bundesliga club, Eintracht Frankfurt pulled a giant killing feat after holding on to defeat Barcelona 3-2 at the Nou Camp in this year’s Europa League quarter final.
The first leg had ended 1-1, in Germany, but it was the visitors who stormed into a 3-0 lead in the reverse fixture and looked in control before two late goals for Barcelona.
Frankfurt opened the scoring as early as the 4th minute when Filip Kostic scored from the penalty spot after Eric Garcia was penalised after pulling a shirt inside the box.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 36th minute through Rafael Borre who scored a superb strike after an assist from Kostic.
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Filip Kostic then scored his brace and Frankfurt’s third goal in the 67th minute when he beautifully converted Daishi Kamada’s pass.
But Sergio Busquets and Memphis Depay scored late in the additional minutes to set up a tense finish for the visitors.
Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka was also sent off for a second yellow card for what looked a soft foul on Luuk de Jong for the spot-kick, with nine minutes added on following a VAR malfunction.
But Frankfurt, who sit ninth in the Bundesliga and won this competition in its previous guise in 1980, saw out a memorable victory to the delight of their almost 30,000 travelling fans.
The hosts had chances of their own, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed over in the first half before failing to connect with Ousmane Dembele’s low cross in the second.
Frankfurt, with the win, set up a Europa League semi-final against David Moyes’ Hammers later in the month.
EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Atalanta 0 vs RB Leipzig 2
(Agg 1-3)
Lyon 0 vs West Ham 3
(Agg 1-4)
Rangers 3 vs Sporting Braga. 1
(Agg 3-2)
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
PSV Eindhoven 1 vs Leicester 2
(Agg 1-2)
PAOK Salonika 0 vs Marseille 1
(Agg 1-3)
Roma 4 vs Bodø/Glimt 0
(Agg 5-2)
Slavia Prague 1vs Feyenoord 3
(Agg 4-6)
