Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash
Eintracht Frankfurt’s victory over Rangers at the 2022 Europa League final came via a keenly contested penalty shootout. Still, the triumph holds a lot of significance to German football.
In recent times, German football has not been at its best. At the national team level, it’s been a gradual rebuilding process for Hansi Flick after the departure of Joachim Low. Germany is a great football nation with a fan culture that urges German teams to victory despite the odds.
When Bayern Leverkusen crashed out of the Europa League in 2020, Bayern Munich’s victory at the UEFA Champions League was a collective success shared by German football fans. 2021 was a particularly bleak year for German football in European competitions. No German side made the Europa League picks nor the UEFA Champions League picks. The national team crashed out at the Euros too.
But with Eintracht Frankfurt’s victory, it seems the odds are back in favor of German sides. Will there be another German victory next season?
What are the chances of Germany’s representatives at the Europa League?
Predicting the winner of the Europa League when the competition is not yet at an advanced stage is a tough task. This is because the competition operates a multi-layered structure. It also takes new entrants from the UEFA Champions League along the line.
Germany has two confirmed representatives at the Europa League in Union Berlin and Freiburg. Eintracht Frankfurt’s win at the concluded Europa League season got them an automatic slot in the UEFA Champions League.
Union Berlin and Freiburg will fly the flag for Germany. No doubt, playing in their home stadium and away venues in the Europa League coupled with the German Bundesliga will be a tough challenge for both teams. Still, many German fans are rooting for them to prevail.
Germany’s representatives at the UEFA Champions League will all look to advance to the next round. However, suppose one of them drops to the Europa League. In that case, their chances of winning will be stronger than that of Freiburg and Union Berlin due to their lean squads.
Conclusion
Football cannot be predicted on paper. Eintracht Frankfurt’s victory last season defied all odds even as they faced some of Europe’s biggest teams on their road to victory.
The German resolve is stronger in the face of opposition. Union Berlin and Freiburg may deliver epic performances that will bring the Europa League trophy to Germany for the second year running.
Do you think this is possible? Please share your thoughts.