Barcelona stunned by Frankfurt, West Ham and Rangers advance to Europa League semifinals

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Eintracht Frankfurt's Serbian midfielder Filip Kostic scores a goal during the Europa League quarterfinal second leg football match against FC Barcelona in Barcelona on April 14, 2022. (AFP)
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Sporting Braga's goalkeeper Matheus Magalhaes claims the ball under pressure during their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal football match with the Rangers in Glasgow on April 14, 2022. (AFP)
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West Ham United's players celebrate after winning the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg football match against Olympique Lyonnais on April 14, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 15 April 2022
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Barcelona stunned by Frankfurt, West Ham and Rangers advance to Europa League semifinals

  • Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp: I am speechless. Nobody expected this, if you are honest. Everyone expected us to suffer
  • Rangers taken to extra time by Braga before winning 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate as the Portuguese side finished the game with nine men

PARIS: Favorites Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarterfinals on Thursday, while West Ham United and Rangers joined RB Leipzig in qualifying for the last four.

Serbian international Filip Kostic scored twice either side of a Rafael Santos Borre strike at the Camp Nou for Frankfurt, who survived a late fightback to win 3-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.

Sergio Busquets scored a late consolation before Memphis Depay's even later penalty for Barcelona but Eintracht held on, to the delight of the estimated 30,000 German supporters who traveled for the game.

They go through to their second Europa League semifinal in four seasons, having lost on penalties to Chelsea at the same stage in 2019.

"I am speechless. Nobody expected this, if you are honest. Everyone expected us to suffer," said Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.

Barcelona's recent revival under Xavi Hernandez has been remarkable but this defeat means they have won just once at home all season in Europe, and their campaign is now set to end without silverware.

"It's a hammer blow for us. They deserved to go through," admitted Xavi.

After conceding three penalties in their weekend win over Levante, Barca fell behind to another spot-kick inside four minutes against Eintracht, as Kostic converted after a foul by Eric Garcia to the delight of the enormous away support.

The visitors scored again in the 36th minute as Colombian forward Borre fired high into the net from range, and Kostic's low finish into the far corner made it 3-0 midway through the second half.

Busquets had a late goal disallowed for offside before he found the net with a fantastic strike from 20 meters in the first minute of injury time.

The game carried on into an 11th added minute when Depay netted a penalty after Evan Ndicka was sent off, receiving a second caution for a foul on Luuk de Jong.

Yet Eintracht maintained their record of not having lost to Spanish opposition since the 1960 European Cup final against Real Madrid, and they will face West Ham in the semifinals.

The English side are through to their first European semifinal since losing the 1976 Cup Winners' Cup final to Anderlecht after they outclassed Lyon in France, winning 3-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate.

The Hammers took the lead in the 38th minute of the return when Craig Dawson headed in a Pablo Fornals corner.

Captain Declan Rice slotted in their second just before the break, his sidefoot effort from the edge of the area beating Lyon goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck with the aid of a deflection.

The outcome was put beyond doubt when West Ham scored again three minutes after the restart as Fornals sent Jarrod Bowen away to make it 3-0.

"The journey in two years, we were talking about relegation, and now we're talking about getting to the semifinal of a European tournament. It's fabulous, and we're all going to look forward to it," said West Ham manager David Moyes.

There was drama in Glasgow as Rangers were taken to extra time by Braga before winning 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate as the Portuguese side finished the game with nine men.

James Tavernier gave Rangers a second-minute lead to level the tie on aggregate, and they had another goal disallowed and then hit the woodwork before winning a penalty just before the interval.

Vitor Tormena was sent off for a foul on Kemar Roofe, and Tavernier netted from the spot.

David Carmo's 83rd-minute header took the tie to extra time, but Roofe's 101st-minute finish put Rangers back in front on aggregate and Braga then had Iuri Medeiros dismissed.

Rangers will now face Leipzig in their first European semi-final since reaching the 2008 UEFA Cup final.

French international Christopher Nkunku scored both goals as Leipzig beat Atalanta 2-0 in Italy to win their last eight tie 3-1 on aggregate.

Nkunku opened the scoring in the 18th minute in Bergamo and then added a late penalty, his 30th goal of the season in all competitions.


T20 World Cup: England rout Sri Lanka for 95 to win Super Eights opener

Updated 22 February 2026
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T20 World Cup: England rout Sri Lanka for 95 to win Super Eights opener

  • England were asked to bat first, scored what looked like below-par 146-9
  • Archer, Will Jacks took five wickets to leave Sri Lanka top order in tatters

KANDY: England routed Sri Lanka for 95 to give captain Harry Brook a perfect birthday present as they opened the T20 World Cup Super Eights phase with a resounding 51-run win in Kandy on Sunday.

After England were asked to bat first and scored what looked like a below-par 146-9, Jofra Archer and Will Jacks took five wickets during the six-over power play to leave Sri Lanka’s top order in tatters at 34-5.

“That’s a beautiful birthday present,” said Brook, who turned 27 on Sunday.

“I thought we played exceptionally there. To get over the line and bowl them out for less than 100 is an awesome effort.

“I didn’t think there were really any demons on the pitch. I think the spinners on both sides used the pace really well, and that’s what brought a lot of wickets.”

It was England’s 12th win in a row against Sri Lanka and on a pitch that was sticky and slow after rain all week in Kandy.

The margin of victory gives them a healthy net run rate advantage in a Super Eights group that could be further affected by weather, after the New Zealand-Pakistan match was washed out on Saturday in Colombo.

“We’re buzzing with that,” said Jacks who was named player of the match for the third time in five matches in the tournament.

“At the halfway stage, we were pleased to get up to 146, but obviously we knew we were going to have to bowl well and work hard.”

The searing pace of Jofra Archer accounted for both openers, including the in-form Pathum Nissanka (9), who had scored a century and 62 in his last two knocks but failed to clear Jamie Overton at deep mid-wicket.

Archer finished with 2-20 and Jacks 3-22, the latter accounting for Kusal Mendis (4) and Pavan Rathnayake (0) in consecutive balls.

Dunith Wellalage staved off the hat-trick but lasted only 10 balls before also falling to Jacks, for 10.

LONE BATTLE

Dasun Shanaka fought a lone battle scoring 30 off 24 balls before falling to Adil Rashid.

The Sri Lanka captain took on the leg-spinner but Jacks took the catch and tossed the ball to Tom Banton before stepping over the boundary.

“It’s one bad game which is not affordable in a World Cup,” said Shanaka.

“But we need to bounce back in the next couple of games.”

Sri Lanka earlier restricted England to 146-9 with left-arm spinner Wellalage taking 3-26.

Phil Salt scored 62 at the top of the order but Sri Lanka, who are missing three of their frontline bowlers, contained the rest of the England batting line-up with regular wickets.

Wellalage was introduced during the power play and trapped the out-of-form Jos Buttler (7) and Brook (14), both lbw, as England limped to 68-4 at the halfway mark.

Salt was caught in the deep off Wellalage after facing 40 deliveries with six fours and two sixes.

Jacks, with 21, was the only other England batsman to score more than 20.

“Jacksie was pretty annoyed with the way he got out,” said Brook, who then explained why the new ball was tossed to the off-spinner.

“He said to me he always bowls better when he’s angry, and thankfully he got off to a cracking start.”

Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka took 2-25 while Maheesh Theekshana took 2-21 with his offspin.