Rangers out of Europa League, Eintracht fans run riot at Lazio

December 14, 2018 - 11:02

Rangers crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday after falling 1-0 at Rapid Vienna, while crowd trouble sparked by Eintracht Frankfurt fans marred the German side’s win at Lazio.

Rangers were knocked out of the Europa League after losing 1-0 at Rapid Vienna. - AFP Photo
Viet Nam News

PARIS — Rangers crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday after falling 1-0 at Rapid Vienna, while crowd trouble sparked by Eintracht Frankfurt fans marred the German side’s win at Lazio.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, who had to win in Vienna in their final group game in order to qualify for the last 32, finish third in Group G, two points behind Rapid thanks to Dejan Ljubicic’s 84th-minute winner, which sees the Austrians through to the knockout stages, level on 10 points with group winners Villarreal.

The Spaniards ensured top spot by beating bottom club Spartak Moscow 2-0 thanks to goals from Samuel Chukwueze and Karl Toko Ekambi.

Rangers came close to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute of a match with few shots and little incident when Connor Goldson thudded a header against the bar, but Ljubicic rolled home the winner late on to seal Rangers’ fate.

Five Eintracht Frankfurt fans had been arrested in clashes with police in Rome ahead of their dead-rubber Group H match against Lazio as over 9,000 Germans swamped the Stadio Olimpico.

Eintracht had already comfortably taken top spot in the group thanks to winning all five of their previous games, while Lazio were also in the last 32 regardless of the result of the match, won 2-1 by the away side as they came back from a goal down thanks to second-half strikes from Mijat Gacinovic and Sebastien Haller.

However, German fans charged the pitch after Joaquin Correa’s 56th-minute opener, and subsequently threw smoke bombs and flares at both Lazio fans and the police.

Last year’s runners-up Marseille finished bottom of that group after losing 3-1 at home to Apollon Limassol and ending the group stage with just a single point. — AFP

E-paper