A Filip Kostic double helped Eintracht Frankfurt to win 3-2 at FC Barcelona on Thursday and continue their astonishing run in the Europa League to the semi-finals.
A reported 30,000 fans travelled from Germany for the quarter-final second leg and they had an unforgettable experience in the Camp Nou as their heroes humbled once mighty Barca.
Kostic’s penalty kick set the tone in just four minutes, after Eric Garcia fouled Jesper Lindström, and a rocket from Rafael Borre doubled the lead before the break.
“Nobody expected this, if you are honest,” Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp said. “We needed to take our chances and today we were very efficient.
“We are in the semi-finals now and we want to get as far as possible. We showed we don’t have to hide from anybody. But, no doubt, now we want to make the final.”
FC Barcelona rallied at the start of the second period.
But Trapp saved from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kostic drilled into the bottom corner to settle the tie on aggregate in the 67th minute.
Sergio Busquets netted to give FC Barcelona hope in injury-time, but Luuk de Jong’s penalty kick with the last action of the game, came too late to save them.
Evan Ndicka was sent off in conceding the penalty kick.
“It’s a big disappointment of course, but that’s football,” FC Barcelona coach Xavi said. “They were just better in the first half.
“We played a bit better in the second but unfortunately our goals were very late.”
Eintracht Frankfurt are mid-table in the Bundesliga but will meet West Ham in the last four, which has the first legs on April 28.
This was after the London side also won 3-0 away to Lyon following their own 1-1 first leg draw.
Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen got the goals for David Moyes’ side who are in their first Europen semi-final since 1976.
There will be another Bundesliga representative in the semi-finals as RB Leipzig progressed, thanks to Christopher Nkunku’s double at Atalanta.
RB Leipzig were held 1-1 at home last week but a controlled performance brought a deserved victory in Bergamo and a semi-final tie against Rangers.
The Scottish side beat nine-man Braga 3-2 on aggregate after extra-time.
Nkunku was the hero once more by tapping in from Konrad Laimer’s cut-back in the 19th minute.
His late penalty kick, which he won himself from goalkeeper Juan Musso three minutes from time, took him to 30 goals for the season.
“We’re working hard and want to try and win the trophy,” Nkunku said.
RB Leipzig are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup next week as they continue their fine form under coach Domenico Tedesco.
He has transformed their season since being appointed in December.
“It’s a fantastic night, it’s not easy to win here,” Tedesco said. “There were no secrets to win, we defended well and unlike the first leg we did well to get past their pressing.”
Rangers dominated Braga from start to finish with full-back James Tavernier opening the scoring in just two minutes to cancel Braga’s first leg lead.
He then stroked home from the penalty kick spot before the break after Vítor Tormena was sent off.
But Rangers, who hit the woodwork three times in all and had three goals disallowed, conceded a late equaliser to David Carmo.
Kemar Roofe finally slammed in the winning goal for Rangers in the first added period.
Braga’s hopes ended when Iuri Medeiros was booked for a tackle and immediately given a second yellow card for complaining about it.
(dpa/NAN)
