Battle of the back 5s, James Tavernier v Filip Kostic: The tactical match-ups that will define Rangers v Frankfurt

Finals aren’t always the most exciting of occasions when it comes to a footballing spectacle. It’s understandable of course, in a final: if you open up too much you won’t win the trophy, and you can’t simply try again next week like you can in a league season. Plus they nearly always come at the end of the season, where players are generally more tired.

Finals are not conducive to being a thrilling or fascinating affair. The recent FA Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea is a perfect example of this. Ad/> But this Europa League final? This could be really special.

Europa LeagueKostic key but Frankfurt’s ‘crazy’ fans crucial for Europa final – Inside Europe17 HOURS AGO Follow live text commentary of the final with Eurosport. It might not be the final that many had wanted (hello Barcelona, Sevilla and West Ham fans amongst others) but for the neutral this could well be the best possible line-up. Neither Eintracht Frankfurt nor Rangers are necessarily gung-ho, but there is an infectious, almost uncontrollable passion in their playing style, that is fed by the respective raucous fan bases.

And what really stands out as a hallmark of both Oliver Glasner and Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the way they lean into that, for better or for worse. Other managers might try and control that fire, resulting in a duller, more controlled team. But both bosses lean into the chaos, and that should make for a great match.