The UEFA Champions League semifinals came to a breathtaking end yesterday, with Real Madrid pulling off a miraculous comeback against Manchester City to join Liverpool in the final. However, with today being Thursday, the focus has now shifted to the Europa League, with UEFA's other competition also set to enter its final stage.
However, before that, the two finalists must be determined. The second leg of the penultimate round will go down, with West Ham battling Frankfurt to avoid a semifinal elimination while RB Leipzig and Rangers face off for a ticket to Seville.
Who'll triumph in today's fixtures? Who are available to play and who will mist the second leg? Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming fixtures in the UEFA Europa League semifinals.
What are the aggregate score lines for the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League semifinals 2nd leg?
Eintracht Frankfurt (2) vs (1) RB Leipzig
Rangers (0) vs (1) RB Leipzig
Preview
Eintracht Frankfurt vs West Ham
After beating the odds and eliminating the almighty Barcelona from the Europa League quarterfinals, only 90 minutes now stand in the way of Eintracht Frankfurt and a spot in the final. Unfortunately, the Germans have to overcome another tricky opponent, this time Premier League outfit West Ham, but it should be pointed out that the Bundesliga side got the better of them in the first leg despite being away from home. Oliver Glasner's side beat the Hammers 2-1, with Knauff scoring inside the first minute before Kamada's 54th-minute goal restored their lead after conceding an equalizer in the 21st minute. A 2-0 defeat to Leverkusen in the league soon followed, but Die Adler opted to rest several key players in that fixture in preparation for the 2nd leg semifinal.
While the home side simply need to hold out for a draw, West Ham must do everything in their power to win the tie. Moyes' men came close to picking up a draw in the first leg, with Bowen hitting the bar with a brilliant overhead kick in stoppage time. Unfortunately, form is not on the Hammers side, with Rice and Co. losing three fixtures in a row, with the other two defeats coming in London derbies against Chelsea and – most recently – Arsenal. In fact, the visitors are winless in their last four games and will need to end this barren run if they are to make the final.
Rangers vs RB Leipzig
While Rangers were brilliant last season, winning the Scottish Premiership under Gerrard without losing a single game, not many expected them to make a European final. Having qualified for the Europa League, the Gers simply need to beat RB Leipzig by two goals to make it to the ultimate stage of a continental tournament for the first time since the 2007/08 UEFA Cup. Van Bronckhorst lost the first encounter 1-0, hence the need for a two-goal victory in order to triumph as the away goal rule has been scrapped. The home side enter this clash on the back of the recent Old Firm Derby, having drawn 1-1 with bitter rivals Celtic, which isn't ideal, but is better than losing.
RB Leipzig, meanwhile, can feel unlucky that they do not boast a larger lead as they had several opportunities to score in the first leg. Angelino netted five minutes before the end of normal time to secure a first-leg advantage, but nothing has been won as Rangers are a formidable side when playing at the Ibrox Stadium. Nkunku and Co. recently lost 3-1 to Borussia M'gladbach in the league, a result which has seen Domenico Tedesco's men drop out of the top four. While only a single point separates them from fourth-placed Freiburg, RB Leipzig will feel the pressure to win the Europa League given that their UEFA Champions League spot is under threat. Do not miss this clash.
Who's in and who's out
Here are the list of players ruled out for the UEFA Europa League 2nd leg semifinals:
Eintracht Frankfurt: Diant Ramaj (injured)
West Ham: Ben Johnson and Angelo Ogbonna
Rangers: Filip Helander, Alfredo Morelos, Nnamdi Ofoborh, and Ianis Hagi (injured); Aaron Ramsey and Kemar Roofe (doubtful)
RB Leipzig: Amadou Haidara (injured)
