British clubs still aim high

Paris – West Ham United and Rangers must both overturn firstleg deficits against German opposition today if they are to reach the Europa League final.

Also, Leicester City head to Italy aiming to deny Jose Mourinho’s Roma a place in the first-ever final of the Europa Conference League.

Eintracht Frankfurt have the initiative as they prepare to host West Ham after winning 2-1 in their semifinal first-leg in London last week with goals from Borussia Dortmund loanee Ansgar Knauff (above) and Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada.

Having knocked out Barcelona in the last eight, they are eyeing a first European final since defeating Borussia Moenchengladbach to win the Uefa Cup in 1980.

“This is the most important game of the season for us. We want to get to the final,” insisted Swiss midfielder Djibril Sow.

Standing in their way are a West Ham side who have knocked out Sevilla and Lyon in the last two rounds and are themselves targeting a first European final in 46 years, since they lost to Anderlecht in the Cup Winners Cup in 1976.

If West Ham do go through they will be the seventh English club to reach the final of the Uefa Cup or Europa League since 2000 and there is still a chance it could be an all-British affair.

Rangers, Uefa Cup runners-up in 2008, welcome RB Leipzig to Ibrox looking to turn around their 1-0 loss in Germany.

Leipzig’s push for Champions League qualification via the Bundesliga has stalled after backto-back defeats, but it would be an enormous achievement for Rangers if they could beat Domenico Tedesco’s men.

If Leipzig and Frankfurt go through to the final in Seville on 18 May, it will be the first all-German European final since Bayern Munich beat Dortmund at Wembley in the Champions League in 2013.

Meanwhile Mourinho is hoping to win the first ever edition of the Europa Conference League to add to the two Champions Leagues, Uefa Cup and Europa League he has won in his career.

His Roma side welcome Leicester following a 1-1 draw in England last week.

It is all about this competition now for a Leicester side sitting mid-table in the Premier League and dreaming of a first European trophy.

in the other semifinal Feyenoord head to France to face Marseille defending a 3-2 lead from the first-leg. –