Eintracht Frankfurt captain Sebastian Rode showed off his battle scars after lifting the Europa League trophy after his side defeated Rangers in Wednesday night’s dramatic final.
Aaron Ramsey missed the crucial penalty in a tense shootout which ensured that Frankfurt won their first European trophy since 1980 and meant that Rangers wait for a European crown has now stretched beyond 50 years.
That led to Rode lifting the trophy at the end of a gruelling contest which had taken its toll on him more than any other player. The central midfielder was inadvertently kicked in the head by Gers opponent John Lundstram in the sixth minute, leading to a lengthy stoppage in play.
Lundstram went for the ball with what a raised boot and caught Rode, who had ducked his head down towards it. That incident led to a prolonged stop in the play while the 31-year-old received treatment on the edge of the box.
So bad was Rode’s wound, it required stitches and ensured that he could only play the remainder of the game with a hand bandage wrapped around the injury. He also had to change his shirt, which had been covered in blood following the incident.
Rode took to Twitter after the game to share an image of his battle scar, alongside the caption: “The main thing is to get the thing!!! Everything else doesn't matter.” The midfielder had been in pain, but he was overjoyed by his side lifting the trophy.
Have Your Say! Should Lundstram have been sent-off for his challenge on Rode? Tell us what you think here.
The incident with Lundstram was an early talking point in the match, but many believed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic made the right call in not sending the Rangers man off. Former referee Peter Walton said on BT Sport that the challenge did not merit a red card but a yellow card – which was not shown either.
Former Rangers boss Ally McCoist said on BT Sport: “I thought he could have got a yellow, it was accidental and it was pleasing for us in the studio that he didn't get a red card.” While fellow pundit Kenny Miller added: “When you see blood, or the extent of the injury, sometimes that influences the referee, but thankfully it didn't. He [Lundstram] touched the ball ever so slightly and the referee has given him the benefit of the doubt.” Owen Hargreaves praised VAR and the on-field officials for “staying out of it”.
The challenge preceded a cagey and evenly-contested final with little to separate the two sides. Joe Aribo had given Rangers the lead just before the hour mark but Frankfurt striker Rafael Santos Borre – who also hit the winning penalty – levelled the tie.
Both sides had chances to win the game with the Bundesliga outfit enjoying the lion’s share of possession and opportunities during normal time, but Rangers were the stronger side in extra time. Ryan Kent’s point-blank effort was saved by Trapp in the dying minutes before Steven Davis saw his follow-up effort agonisingly deflected inches over the bar.
The two sides could not be separated over two hours of football and so the final was decided in that cruellest of manners – a penalty shootout. James Tavernier, Steven Davis, Kemar Roofe and Scott Arfield all found the net for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side but Ramsey’s effort was stopped by Trapp. Coupled with Frankfurt firing home five excellent penalties, it condemned the Scottish giants to a heartbreaking defeat.
