Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Rangers Predictions: Three picks including two cards longshots

The pearl of Andalusia provides the backdrop for the Europa League final as two historic clubs battle for continental glory. We've asked JimmyThePunt to preview the huge match-up between Eintracht Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers.

Rangers' route to Seville has been turbulent to say the least, guided by the tutelage of two different supremo’s the Gers have lost five fixtures. This goes a little way to explaining why the Scottish side are 2/1 outsiders here. They have already bested two of the Bundesliga’s big boys, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, on route to the final, so write them off at your peril.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has overseen ten European matches and the essence of his success lies in his side's unpredictability and spirit. His predecessor's triumph at the club was built on a solid defensive structure and clear game plan. The Dutchman has opted for a more flexible approach which has paid dividends as his squad clearly thrive in the coas. 

The last two rounds have seen them overcome 1-0 deficits on both occasions, harnessing the atmosphere of the home fans, so, question marks linger over how his side will fare on neutral territory. Will they opt for the pragmatic approaches we saw in Leipzig and Braga or go hell for leather as we saw in the return legs?

van Bronckhorst went for a back three in both of the semi-final legs, so expect John Lundstram to continue in between Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey. Elsewhere, the Gers have been blighted with injuries in attack, Alfredo Morelos is unavailable and Kemar Roofe remains a doubt. 

In comparison, Eintracht Frankfurt’s road to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuanl has been a lot less turbulent. The German side remained unbeaten, a feature of their play has been their quick starts. They have scored the first goal in 75% of their 12 fixtures with nine of their 20 goals coming in the first half an hour of their fixtures. 

At the London Stadium they scored inside the first minute, at the Camp Nou it was within the first five minutes, which allowed them to gain control of the ties. 

Oliver Glasner has prioritised this competition over domestic success best illustrated by their poor Bundesliga standing. Surprisingly, Die Adler went with a relatively strong XI for the final league game at the weekend.  

Martin Hinteregger, Diant Ramaj, Jesper Lindstrom and Danny da Costa are all ruled out in Seville. After hobbling off at the weekend, Obite Evan Ndicka is also a doubt here. 

Despite featuring predominantly at left wing back, Filip Kostic tops his sides charts for shots per game in the UEL averaging 2.7. Of players to make over ten appearances in the competition, striker Daichi kamada comes closest to that total, averaging 1.4 per game. 

The Serbian scored twice at the Camp Nou, one of which coming from the spot, taking his goals tally to eight for the season.

He has met this line in six of his last eight games in Europe and if Rangers deploy the low block, as expected, Kostic will no doubt fancy his chances from range as 60% of his 51 domestic shots this season coming from outside the area. 

In comparison with other bookies this is a touch long as the same angle is 11/10 with Betfair. 

• Kevin Trapp to be carded
• Eintracht Frankfurt to win
• Over 0 Frankfurt cards

As previously alluded to, Eintracht Frankfurt have been quick out of the blocks in Europe this season. These early leads- particularly in the knock-out stages- have provided the perfect opportunity for their shot stopper to show off his gamesmanship. 

Kevin Trapp has accumulated five cards this campaign, three of which have come in this competition and all those have been for his time wasting antics. 

He is 8/1 to add to his tally but you can bulk up this price by combining his card with an Eintracht Frankfurt win and the game to feature over 0 cards via Bet365’s ‘Bet Builder’. This bulks the price up to 22/1 and outlines the circumstances needed for the bet to win. 

• Allan McGregor to be carded
• Glasgow Rangers to win
• Over 0 Rangers cards

I also think it is worth repeating the same punt with Rangers keeper Allan McGregor. He was carded at the Westfalenstadion in the 79th minute and the 40-years-old will be using all his guile to grind out a victory if his side can get their noses in front. 

Best of luck if you are backing any of these selections and please remember to gamble responsibly.