Eintracht Frankfurt beat ten West Ham United players 1-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals to reach their first European final in 42 years after a 3-1 win on aggregate.
In front of 48,000 spectators, Rafael Buri scored the winning goal for the hosts in the 26th minute, beating the English team for the second time after a 2-1 win in the first leg last week.
West Ham, who spent most of the match with 10 men after left-back Aaron Cresswell was sent off in the 17th minute for a foul on Jens Peter Hogg, appeared to be fanless during the match.
The referee also sent off coach David Moyes in the 79th minute for angrily kicking the ball at a young player in a disappointing end to West Ham’s European career.
“A dream has finally become a reality,” Eintracht President Peter Fischer told the enthusiastic crowd as they streaked across the pitch to celebrate after the final whistle.
“The team played a great game. This city and its people deserve it. This is football and we will win the title.”
The start was poor for Frankfurt as defender Martin Hinterger was injured just eight minutes later with a hamstring injury.
However, Cresswell’s sending off left space for the German team, which was taken advantage of by Knauf Anzager, who rushed off to serve Bury’s plate and score the winning goal.
West Ham’s most dangerous moment came a minute before half-time, when Frankfurt saved a Kurt Zouma shot on the goal line.
The event was also absent from West Ham in the second half and Moyes was furious to kick the ball at one of the guys in the stadium after I thought he was trying to waste time.
“I’m very disappointed that we didn’t make it today,” Moyes said. “I’m very proud of the players and how they finished the game with 10 people. Any other team would fall apart and lose with a team like that.” the first two goals or three.”
“I thought there was a chance. We played better than in Frankfurt. We could have lost the match in the first seconds at the London stadium.”
The German team, which last reached the European final in 1980, will face Rangers on May 18 after the Scottish team’s victory over RB Leipzig.