Rangers v Eintracht Frankfurt: £25m defender and Europa League top goalscorer - how the finalists compare

Rangers head to Seville in one week’s time for the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt – and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will already be working on measuring up the opposition.

Bookmakers have the Germans slight favourites but comparisons between the clubs show little to be given on either side, even down to their anticipated travelling supports heading to Spain both suggested to be similar in size for the showpiece in Sevilla’s Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan on May 18.

Both teams have eliminated so-called tournament favourites en route to the final – Rangers knocked out Borussia Dortmund in February only for Frankfurt to see off Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the next round after the Catalans assumed the mantle. Even in the semi-finals, RB Leipzig were tipped for the trophy but were overturned at Ibrox.

Now on neutral territory, the trophy is up for grabs.

What the stats say

Rangers squad is, on average, two years older than Oliver Glasner’s side but where the sides do differ, according to football data website transfermarkt, is squad value. The Bundesliga squad is worth around 50-percent more than their Scottish rivals, but their assets lie in differing areas. Glasner’s squad is valued by the site approaching £180m, while Rangers’ is just shy of £120m – a value led by loanee Amad Diallo and injured striker Alfredo Morelos.

Rangers’ attack is where the club holds highest value with the aforementioned pair plus Ryan Kent’s £11.7m taking the Scottish front-line towards a £51m rating under the transfermarkt metric. That will be up against a defence with an equivalent value of £53m, albeit one weighted, almost by half, by French centre-back Evan Ndika (£25.2m).

Frankfurt’s most valuable area is midfield where an array of riches spread between Japanese international Daichi Kamada (£19.8m), left midfielder Filip Kostic (£18m), Swiss Djibrill Sow (£15.75m) and the injured Jesper Lindstrom (£12.8m).

Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Oliver Glasner will go head to head in Seville when Eintracht Frankfurt meet Rangers for the UEFA Europa League trophy.

Rangers also have in their armoury the UEL top scorer, James Tavernier and, in Allan McGregor, one of the competition’s most experienced players.

Here’s how they compare, on paper...

Average ages

Eintracht Frankfurt – 25.3 years

Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Rangers – 27.3 years

Most valuable players

(as per transfermarkt.co.uk)Eintracht Frankfurt – Evan Ndika (France), Central defender, £25.2m & Daichi Kamada (Japan), Attacking midfield, £19.8m.

Rangers – Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Winger, £16.2m *on loan from Manchester United* & Ryan Kent (England), Winger, £12.6m.

James Tavernier is Europa League top scorer. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Squad valuations by position

Eintracht Frankfurt

Goalkeepers – £6.26m

Defence – £53.73m

Midfielder – £81.715m

Attack – £35m

Total = £176.94m

Rangers

Goalkeepers – £1.125m

Defence – £26.82m

Midfielder – £39.6m

Attack – £51m

Total = £118.97m

Path to the UEL final and teams eliminated

Eintracht Frankfurt – Group winners (Olympiakos, Fenerbahce, Royal Antwerp), Real Betis, Barcelona, West Ham. Goals for – 22 ; Goals against – 15 ; Possession – 47.79% ; Passing accuracy – 80.86%

Rangers – Alashkert, Group runners-up (Lyon, Sparta Prague, Brondby), Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, S.C.Braga, RB Leipzig. Goals for – 20 ; Goals against – 12 ; Possession – 47.67% ; Passing accuracy – 79.75%.

Top goalscorers

Eintracht Frankfurt – Europa League – Daichi Kamada (5), League – Rafael Borre (7), Overall – Rafael Borre (10).

Rangers – Europa League – James Tavernier (7) , League – Alfredo Morelos (10), Overall – Alfredo Morelos (19).

Most minutes

Eintracht Frankfurt – Kevin Trapp (GK) – 3990; Evan Ndika (CB) 3750.

Rangers – Connor Goldson (CB) 5280; James Tavernier (RB) 4928.

Most Europa League games

Eintracht Frankfurt – Martin Hinteregger (CB) 55.

Rangers – Allan McGregor (GK) 58.

Rangers' prize money bonanza - Europa League windfall, potential Super Cup bonus, Champions League riches