Eintracht Frankfurt continued its adventure in the UEFA Europa League, advancing to the semifinals after a stunning 3-2 victory over Spanish hosts Barcelona on Thursday in the second leg of the quarterfinals. Frankfurt joined fellow German side RB Leipzig, which beat Italian Atalanta 2-0, and English West Ham United, which won 3-0 against French Olympique Lyon, in the semifinals on the same day.
The first leg in Germany last Thursday ended in a 1-1 draw, allowing Eintracht Frankfurt to secure a spot in the semifinals with a total score of 4-3 over the two matches.
At Camp Nou, in front of over 79,000 spectators, including at least 20,000 Frankfurt fans, the German team delivered a breathtaking performance, dominating Barcelona, who appeared to struggle on the pitch. Frankfurt could have achieved a spectacular win given the numerous chances they created throughout the match, but wastefulness from players and excellent saves from German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen prevented a larger margin.
From the very start, Frankfurt set the pace of the match, earning a penalty which Serbian Filip Kostić converted to score the opening goal in the fourth minute. Colombian Rafael Borré added a second goal for Frankfurt in the 36th minute with an assist from Kostić, who later scored his second and the team's third goal in the 67th minute, making him the undisputed star of the match.
Barcelona woke up in stoppage time, scoring two goals through Sergio Busquets and Dutchman Memphis Depay in the first and 11th minutes from a penalty, respectively.
This marks Barcelona's first loss in nearly three months, having maintained an unbeaten record for 15 consecutive matches across various competitions, achieving 11 wins and 4 draws.
Consequently, Barcelona bid farewell to the Europa League, leaving them on the brink of ending the current season empty-handed, having exited early from the Champions League and Copa del Rey, failing to win the Spanish Super Cup, and facing diminished chances in the La Liga title race, which their traditional rival Real Madrid is close to winning.
