Filip Kostic fires Eintracht Frankfurt into UEFA Europa League final four in stunning win at Barcelona
Filip Kostic scored two and set up another for Rafael Borre as Eintracht Frankfurt ran riot at Camp Nou and secured their place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, where they will meet West Ham United.
The tie poised at 1-1 following the first leg, Borre made Frankfurt's intentions clear with a shot inside the first 30 seconds, and the guests got the start they would have dreamed of when Jesper Lindstrom was hauled down inside the penalty area and Kostic dispatched the resultant spot-kick past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The sizeable support from Frankfurt were in raptures, as Barca were ruptured. Ansgar Knauff's goal in the first leg was one of the most spectacular in the Europa League this season, but Borre raised the bar and the volume a notch with the sweetest of strikes from 25 yards which ter Stegen could not get near, as Frankfurt doubled their lead. Not wanting to be outdone, Knauff tried to match Borre, but sent his sizzling shot just over the crossbar.
Barca emerged for the second half without the injured Pedri, but with a greater urgency in their game. Dembele and another former Borussia Dortmund forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, tried to reduce the arrears, but it was their goalkeeper ter Stegen who kept them in the tie with a save from Lindstrom. There was nothing the former Borussia Mönchengladbach keeper could do to prevent Kostic from adding a third midway through the second half, however, with the Serbian's strike placed perfectly into the far corner. Another former Foal, Luuk de Jong, was thrown on as a fourth forward for Barca, but the cheers continued to come from the huge following of Frankfurt fans, even when Sergio Busquets turned the ball in from close range; VAR ruled it out for offside. Busquets got his goal just after nine minutes of stoppage time were shown and Memphis Depay cut the lead again with a penalty in the 11th minute of stoppage time, but it was too late for the Catalans. They simply could not cope with a fervent Frankfurt side, who took an emphatic step closer to Seville with an historic victory.
Match stats
Eintracht join RB Leipzig in the last four, with an all-German final a possibility.
Borre has a team-leading nine goals in all competitions in 2021/22, but this was only his second in Europe in 15 outings.
Kostic is the 2021/22 Europa League leading assist provider, with five.
Frankfurt’s overall record against Spanish opposition has them very much on top: P12, W6, D4, L2.
Eintracht reached the semi-finals in 2018/19, losing on penalties to eventual winners Chelsea.
Barcelona are now winless in their last five meetings with Bundesliga clubs (D1, L4), and have won only one of their previous seven (D2, L4).
Line-ups
Barcelona: Ter Stegen – Mingueza (Dest 61'), Araujo, Garcia (L. de Jong 70'), Alba - Gavi, Busquets (c), Pedri (F. de Jong 46') - Dembele, Aubameyang (Traore 61'), Torres (Depay 80') Unused subs: Neto, Tenas, Puig, Gonzalez, Balde Out: Alves (ineligible), Fati (hamstring), Pique (groin), Roberto (hamstring), Umtiti (broken toe) Coach: Xavi
Europa League Quarter-final, second leg Quarter-final, second leg Camp Nou, Barcelona
90'
+ 11
FRANKFURT INTO THE LAST FOUR!
Trapp got a hand to the penalty, but it's too late for Barca. Eintracht will face West Ham in the Europa League semi-finals, and could yet meet Leipzig in the final! What an effort!
Frankfurt are throwing themselves into the challenges. Incredible commitment by the men in white - not just tonight either. They have been the better side over the two legs...
Pretty much flawless so far from Frankfurt. They've had just 33 percent possession, yet scored three goals without reply. Glasner's side will take some stopping, should they see this out.
74'
BORRE!
Almost curtains for Barcelona, but Borre mistimes his effort and blazes Knauff's back-post cross wide.
70'
TARGET MAN
A striker for a defender from Xaxi. De Jong didn't have the best of times in the Bundesliga with Gladbach, scoring six times in 36 games - let's hope he doesn't find any joy in the closing stages here.
It's happening! It's really happening! Borre flicks a throw-in into the feet of Kamada. He only has eyes for Kostic, and he only has eyes for the bottom corner. Superb finish from the left of the area - Frankfurt are in dreamland!
It's not been Aubameyang's night. Traore's on in attack, while Sergino Dest replaces Oscar Mingueza - who's been led on a merry dance all night long by Kostic - at right-back.
Frankfurt break up the left. Lindstrom runs clear, but his low shot meets the outstretched leg of Ter Stegen. Frankfurt refusing to park the bus. The next goal will be so important...
55'
TRAPP HEROICS
Brilliant from Trapp. He's out in a flash, getting a boot to Aubameyang's close-range attempt. That looked like a certain goal!
52'
CLOSE!
Lindstrom draws the foul from Alba. Kostic sends in the ensuing free-kick, but it drops just wide of the far post. Hard to tell if that was a shot, but it almost resulted in a third Eintracht goal.
50'
AUBA MISCUES!
Barcelona's best chance yet as Dembele pings a ball across the six-yard box for Aubameyang, who can't turn it home. Almost a goal made in the Bundesliga.
46'
PEDRI OFF
The home side have been forced into a change, with Frenkie de Jong on for the injured Pedri. The Barca sub better get used to being the filling in a Jakic-Rode sandwich.
Frankfurt are in complete control of their Europa League quarter-final tie. Kostic has been a menace, scoring one and making Borre's stunner to give the Eagles a 3-1 aggregate lead. Glasner's side are 45 minutes from joining Leipzig in the last four...
44'
KNAUFF!
Desperately close to a third Frankfurt goal as Knauff skips past Alba and into the box, firing inches wide of the far post. Ter Stegen was beaten - Barca are seriously rattled.
39'
RELENTLESS
Barcelona do not know what to do with Kostic. Knauff knocks the cross back down to Jakic, who drills at Ter Stegen from the edge of the area.
37'
FRANKFURT DOUBLE THEIR LEAD!
Incredible scenes in Barcelona! The hosts fold in the face of the Frankfurt press as the ball is worked to Kostic on the left. He squeezes a pass to his right for Borre, who sends a rocket of a strike into the top corner from fully 20 yards. Sensational!
Knauff scored a stunning volley in the first leg. The Dortmund loanee shows off his silky side here, beating three defenders before drawing a save out of Ter Stegen from distance.
28'
FRANKFURT COME AGAIN
Lindstrom is just too quick for this Barcelona team, the Dane winning a free-kick against Pedri. Kostic picks out Toure, who heads off target. Eintracht brimming with confidence...
There's that rapier-like transition play Xavi was so worried about. Kostic controls a long cross-field pass, before forcing a diving save from Ter Stegen. He hit the ball well enough - it was just too close to the Germany No.2.
Frankfurt survive a string of corners. Barca are trying to turn the screw, but the Bundesliga club are standing firm.
18'
TRAPP HEROICS
That's a big save frm Trapp. The Frankfurt man swats away after Araujo had got his head on the end of Alba's free-kick.
14'
FOOT ON THE BALL
This is more like the Barcelona we know, as they get their foot on the ball and circulate it.
9'
DEMBELE CHANCE
That's the first chance of the game for Dembele, but the former Dortmund man cannot quite rise enough to get above the ball, and he heads it over.
8'
FRANKFURT PRESSING
Barcelona do not know what is hitting them as Frankfurt continue to do all the attacking here. In Camp Nou. Where the noise is being made by Frankfurt's fans.
4'
NEVER IN DOUBT
Ter Stegen tries to put him off, but Kostic is not being distracted, and the visiting fans are delirious!
A foul in the box on Lindstrom, and a great chance for Frankfurt!
2'
KOSTIC BLOCKED
The first two shots, both within 90 seconds, are both from Frankfurt players. If they can keep this up, Frankfurt are on course for the semis.
1'
BORRE SIGHTER
Just 32 seconds on the clock and Borre has a go from closer to the halfway line than the Barcelona goal, but it's an effort which says "watch out, we are here"
1'
KICK OFF
With the Frankfurt fans in full voice already, we are underway in Camp Nou.
INIMITABLE AFICIONADOS
Are there any fans like Frankfurt's? While only 5,000 tickets were allocated to visiting fans, there are likely to be up to 15,000 Eagles in the Camp Nou tonight. As if that is not enough, an estimated further 10,000 are out and about in Barcelona to catch the game either on TV or, understandably, via our blog. Amazing.
LEIPZIG REACH LAST FOUR!
Christopher Nkunku's brace gives Leipzig a 3-1 aggregate win over Atalanta. The all-German final dream is alive!
5:59
WATCH: AN AUBAMEYANG HIGHLIGHT REEL
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was kept quiet in Frankfurt, though he does have 10 goals in 14 career meetings with the Eagles. The 30-year-old, who struck 98 times in 144 games for Dortmund, still holds the record for the most goals by any African player in Bundesliga history.
DOMESTIC FORTUNES
Frankfurt are way better than their ninth-placed standing in the current Bundesliga table suggests. They've beaten Bayern, and have taken 22 points from a possible 42 on the road. Barca have climbed to second in La Liga under Xavi, but were hammered 3-0 home and away by Bayern in the UEFA Champions League groups.
XAVI WARY OF FRANKFURT
"We have to minimize their counterattacks, and defend more with the ball to avoid their transitions," Barca head coach Xavi said of his gameplan, his side having been unsettled time and again by Eintracht in the first leg. "They complicated things for us in the first leg, but the key is to be better football-wise."
GREAT RECORD
Frankfurt have never lost to a Spanish side in European competition outside of a final. True story. In eight previous matches in the Europa League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup against a La Liga outfit, Frankfurt did not lose a single game, winning all but three of them. The only defeat they have tasted against Spanish opposition? The Champions League final — then the European Cup final — in May 1960 when there were beaten 7-3 by the all-conquering Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas-inspired Real Madrid.
GLASNER'S APPROACH
"It's a knockout clash, so there can only be one target: a place in the semi-finals," said Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner prior to the winner-takes-all encounter. "It's going to be a very difficult task, but we've got confidence from the first leg. It's about delivering our best possible performance on the pitch. If we don't do that, we've got no chance. The good thing is we've proven we're capable of that."
FRANKFURT TO THE BONE
Some 30,000 Frankfurt fans have travelled to Barcelona, though there will only be 5,000 in the stadium for the game itself.
MORE ON THOSE TEAMS
With Tuta suspended following his red card in the first leg, Almamy Toure starts in defence. Sebastian Rode replaces the injured Djibril Sow in the centre of the park, meanwhile, in the only other change from a week ago. Barcelona are without the injured Gerard Pique, so Oscar Mingueza comes in. Former Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele also gets the nod at the expense of Adama Traore. Frenkie de Jong, who came on to set up Ferran Torres' equaliser in Frankfurt, starts on the bench once more.
Ter Stegen – Mingueza, Araujo, Garcia, Alba - Gavi, Busquets (c), Pedri - Dembele, Aubameyang, Torres
BARCA SUBS
Neto, Tenas, Dest, Puig, Depay, Traore, L. de Jong, F. de Jong, Gonzalez, Balde
WELCOME!
Eintracht Frankfurt played a blinder in the first leg. With the tie poised at 1-1 and away goals abolished, can they finish the job in Barcelona? A place in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals awaits...
