OLIVER GLASNER tonight declared Eintracht Frankfurt’s final game before the Europa League final against Rangers a “successful dress rehearsal” despite his team being held to a 2-2 draw by Mainz away.
The Deutsche Bank Park outfit started poorly and fell behind in the 10th minute of the Bundesliga match with their near neighbours at the MEWA Arena when Marcus Ingvartsen scored.
But Glasner was impressed with how his men responded to the early setback in the first-half; they equalised through Tuta at a free-kick and took the lead thanks Rafael Borre netted.
A second Ingvartsen strike early in the second half meant the derby match finished level at the end of the 90 minutes.
However, the Austrian coach was pleased with the Eintracht performance ahead of the final in Seville on Wednesday night.
“I'm super glad we had the game today,” he said. “The first 15 to 20 minutes were cruel. We weren't ready for the game and the intensity and Mainz deserved to take the lead.
“Little by little, we picked up the intensity, not only because of the goal, but also because we didn't allow anything else. “From 20 minutes on I was very satisfied with the performance. It was important that the players felt that we needed the reaction.
“It was a successful dress rehearsal. If you can't flip the switch, you can quickly lose 3-0. I liked that the boys fought back, it's a character trait that sets them apart this season. We can tell the guys a lot day and night, but they have to implement it.”
Glasner chose to field the strongest Eintracht starting line-up available to him – unlike his Rangers counterpart Giovanni van Bronckhorst who rested a string of first team regulars in the cinch Premiership match against Hearts at Tynecastle.
The 47-year-old, though, thinks that neither approach will have a huge bearing on how the sides perform in the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Wednesday evening.
"Rangers played with their strongest team on Wednesday, they didn't do it on Saturday,” he said. “I don’t think it's advantage for us or Rangers. Both teams will be physically and mentally fit.
"Rangers are very physical, very well organised, very fast and they are very good at getting space behind the defence. They will be ready, but so will we. We have a huge amount of respect for Rangers."
Eintracht defender Evan Ndicka limped off in the second-half of the Mainz match, but Glasner has no concerns about the French centre half not being available for the final.
"It's nothing serious,” he said. “He had blisters on his feet, it was rubbing. He had already had problems in training. Tuta also felt something, so we made three changes. Everyone got off well, everyone is fit. “We will train normally tomorrow. Don't make the game bigger than usual. It's a football game like we had in '48.
“The key is that we get our strengths on the pitch. We now have days of recovery, then it's already final training. Now is the time to build joy, passion.”
Glasner dismissed suggestions the high temperatures which the final is set to be played in over in Spain will give Eintracht an advantage over Rangers. “That wasn't an advantage for Betis and Barcelona (his side beat their La Liga opponents in the last 16 and quarter-finals) either,” he said.
“Both teams will accept the circumstances as they are. The best thing is not to worry about the status of the game, but how we can win the game. We need total conviction and will.”
