WHEN asked to name three things Germany is famous for, I usually answer with the BBC: bread, beer and cars. But on this occasion, I’ll throw in sausages.
Frankfurters, specifically. That’s one thing the central German city where the sausage gets its name is famous for. Perhaps less well-known is the city’s Bundesliga football team Eintracht, who currently occupy 12th place in the league standings.
It is a remarkable feat that, come next Wednesday when Rangers line up against Oliver Glasner’s side in Seville, Scottish clubs will have contested the final of either the UEFA Cup or Europa League in three of the last 20 years.
Barry Ferguson and Lee mcCulloch are dejected after Uefa Cup final defeat in 2008
The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium will host the Ibrox club’s second crack in that time at getting their hands on a first piece of European silverware since the Barcelona Bears famously lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup back in 1972. One thing Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side this season share in common with Walter Smith’s class of 2008 and Martin O’Neill’s UEFA Cup finalists of 2003 is that despite (and most probably because of) reaching such heights on the continent, they have failed to win their domestic championship. Like a pumpernickel loaf that hasn’t been proved, they have failed to rise to the occasion when the oven timer goes off.
Henrik Larsson (left) scores for Celtic in the Uefa Cup final
Rangers started the campaign much as they had ended their title-winning season last time out, with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Livingston. But as Steven Gerrard attempted to graduate from an unexpected and admirable charge to the Europa League last-16 in the previous season to the riches of the Champions League, successive 2-1 defeats to Malmo in the third qualifying round bookended a 1-0 loss away to Dundee United in their second Premiership match.
The Ibrox side wouldn’t lose again in the Premiership until February, when a 3-0 defeat at the home of arch-rivals Celtic tipped the title race inexorably in their opponents’ favour. And as their march on the Europa League gained momentum, more points would fall by the wayside as Ange Postecoglou’s side went from strength to strength on the domestic front.
As Van Bronckhorst steered his side to an incredible 6-4 aggregate win over Bundelisga giants Borussia Dortmund, his side dropped points in both Premiership matches following the respective legs of that round-of-32 tie.
James Tavernier celebrates his goal against Borussia Dortmund
There is a fairly obvious inference here: that the deeper a team goes in European competition, the more it affects their form on the home front. You can, it seems, have too much of a good thing. Down too many steiners of Hefeweizen and you’re sure to be hanging over der Toilettenschüssel the next morning.
However, since dropping points at home to Motherwell immediately after dumping out Dortmund, Rangers have won every match domestically while seeing off Red Star Belgrade, SC Braga and RB Leipzig on the road to Seville. Quite the hangover cure.
John Lundstram celebrates after scoring against RB Leipzig
All except two, that is.
First, a 2-1 reverse at home to Postecoglou’s side days after the Braga triumph, then in a 1-1 draw with Celtic at Parkhead which was sandwiched between two legs against Leipzig in the semi-final. Had Rangers triumphed in either of those fixtures, it is conceivable that they would be challenging for a unique treble this month.
Celtic have edged the Premiership meetings between the two sides this season, winning two, drawing one and with a solitary 1-0 defeat in the first derby at Ibrox way back in August when Postecoglou was still chucking out old items belonging to Neil Lennon at his Parkhead office. But throw in the fifth Old Firm clash of the season at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final last month and it’s honours even between the two teams domestically.
So, unlike the frankfurter sausage (which can be served hot and cold), Rangers head into their Europa League final against Eintracht next week with a driving momentum both domestically and in Europe, especially against German outfits.
Given that they have successfully despatched Dortmund (second place), Leipzig (fourth), they surely go to Seville as favourites to lift the trophy against Frankfurt (12th). Should they do so, they will buck a trend of glorious failure for the two Glasgow giants in the last two European finals they have reached.
Another quirk of history is that, after their UEFA Cup final defeats in 2003 and 2008 where they also missed out on the domestic title, Celtic and Rangers refuelled and went on to clinch the league and Scottish Cup double in the respective following seasons.
Rangers have the chance to clinch a Europa League and Scottish Cup double in the next 10 days. While they have fallen short in the league, that would take some beating. Equally, they could end the season trophyless. It’ll be the best or nothing for Van Bronckhorst’s side.
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