And in-form Borussia Dortmund will make the trip to face a burgeoning Eintracht Frankfurt side in the Bundesliga on Sunday, looking to extend their winning streak.
An entertaining Bundesliga clash awaits us at Deutsche Bank Park this weekend as Eintracht Frankfurt play host to Borussia Dortmund, with both sides looking to maintain their positive recent form.
The Black and Yellows continued their winning run on Wednesday evening as they earned a hard-fought 1-0 Champions League win over Newcastle United at St. James’s Park, where Paris Saint-Germain came unstuck earlier in the group stage. The result moved Dortmund above Newcastle on head-to-head differentials into second place with four points in Group F, ahead of the reverse fixture at Signal Iduna Park in a fortnight.
Domestically, Dortmund have been faring incredibly well in recent weeks, having won a fifth straight Bundesliga fixture last Friday night. Seeing off Werder Bremen took Dortmund into fourth in the table, level on points with perennial foes Bayern Munich. But Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart still lead the way ahead of them.
One would be forgiven for being surprised at this run, considering the stuttering start to the season. Yet, Terzic’s troops seem to be finding their feet, while a newfound pragmatism is helping them get over the finish line in closely-fought contests.
Eintracht Frankfurt, though, are also on a high, following consecutive Bundesliga victories and a 6-0 thrashing of HJK in the Europa Conference League, which moved them second in Group G, with the 2021/22 Europa League winners almost certain to be setting their sights on that competition as a winnable one.
The hosts will look to provide Dortmund with a stern test. However, playing only three days ago does not do them any favours against an opposition as strong as Dortmund with the depth at their disposal. That extra energy may well prove to be the difference in this one.
Borussia Dortmund have had league doubles over Frankfurt in the last two seasons. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of this fascinating contest this weekend.
Team News and Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
Home ❤️#SGE pic.twitter.com/QL3I3FN3CL
— Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_eng) October 28, 2023
Kevin Trapp was suspended in midweek after being sent off against PAOK earlier in the hosts’ Europa League campaign. But the Germany international would have missed out anyway after a back problem prevented him from featuring against Hoffenheim last weekend.
The Eintracht Frankfurt captain, though, is expected to return in between the sticks here. Other than that, Kristijan Jakic and Mehdi Loune remain sidelined with knee injuries, while Sebastian Rode and Simon Simoni are ruled out due to calf and elbow problems, respectively.
With so many players performing well against HJK Helsinki, Frankfurt boss Tino Toppmoller will have a favourable dilemma in terms of putting together a starting lineup for Sunday.
Omar Marmoush is in a particularly rich vein of form for Frankfurt up top. Ansgar Knauff and Fares Chaibi will likely join him at the top. In midfield, expect a pairing of Ellyes Skhiri and Mario Gotze, with young Swedish talent Hugo Larsson as another very capable option.
Elsewhere in the wing-back department, Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe remains a guaranteed starter on the right after bagging a brace in the midweek tie, while former Everton man Niels Nkounkou should retain his place on the opposite flank.
Frankfurt boast the meanest defence in the league, only conceding six goals. That resolve is a credit to their three-man central defensive unit, comprising Tuta, Robin Koch, and Willian Pacho, all of whom should retain their places in front of Trapp.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Dina Ebimbe, Gotze, Skhiri, Nkounkou; Chaïbi, Marmoush, Knauff
Borussia Dortmund
The visitors’ absentees include Mateu Morey, Youssoufa Moukoko, and Julian Ryerson. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic has two fresh injury concerns to deal with following their 1-0 win over Newcastle United, with Emre Can hobbling off with a knock and potentially sidelined here.
Can initially tried to shake off the injury, but eventually had to be replaced by Salih Ozcan just before half-time. Ozcan did not put a foot wrong throughout the second half and could partner Felix Nmecha in the middle of the park here.
Julian Ryerson (illness) was absent against Newcastle United and faces a late fitness test with the hope that he will be able to return to the squad for the trip to Frankfurt on Sunday. Dortmund are also sweating over the fitness of key playmaker Julian Brandt, who was forced to miss the game against Newcastle due to a thigh injury that he picked up against Werder Bremen.
Terzic zu Götze: "Ich kenne Mario schon sehr lang. Man kann glaube ich mit Stolz sagen, dass er hier beim #BVB seine beste Zeit hatte. Wir wünschen ihm natürlich, dass er gesund bleibt, aber nicht, dass er morgen gewinnt."#SGEBVB pic.twitter.com/gzAlpvVS7e
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) October 28, 2023
Marcel Sabitzer came into the starting XI in his absence. But the Austrian international could be dropped here should Terzic revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation to use an extra attacker upfront. Karim Adeyemi, who has fallen down the pecking order in recent weeks, might come into the visitors’ attack to freshen things up, while Giovanni Reyna is another option available on the bench.
This may also be a good opportunity to get some minutes for Niklas Sule, who so far has not had the chance to start in quite a few games. However, the rest of the back four and the goalkeeper should retain their places from midweek.
Up front, Niclas Fullkrug is likely to strike as Dortmund’s main striker, with Marco Reus acting as the chief playmaker just behind him. Right-winger Donyell Malen is a key part of Dortmund’s attack and will be a threat on the counter-attack against Frankfurt with his pace and ability to make direct runs into the box.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Ozcan; Malen, Reus, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund are undefeated in their last 16 Bundesliga matches.
- Eintracht Frankfurt are unbeaten across competitions this season, winning five of seven games.
- Five of the last seven Borussia Dortmund league games have seen both teams score.
- Borussia Dortmund are undefeated in six away meetings in the Bundesliga against Frankfurt (W2 D4).
- Eintracht Frankfurt have the best defensive record in the Bundesliga this season, conceding six goals.
Player to Watch
Felix Nmecha
Felix Nmecha scored his first competitive goal in a Borussia Dortmund shirt on Wednesday evening. And it proved to be an important one, helping them earn a 1-0 win over Newcastle United. The 23-year-old made a big impact in midfield and showed why the Black and Yellows decided to sign him as their replacement for Jude Bellingham.
He has now starred in each of Borussia Dortmund’s last two games, quelling some doubts that arose after a bit of a rocky start at Dortmund. With injuries mounting in the middle of the park, he will now look to continue his impressive run of form and cement his place in the starting XI in the coming weeks, with several crunch matches in store for BVB.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Considering the bright recent form of both teams, we can expect to see goals in what will be a fiercely-contested affair. It is an important game for both sides in terms of the points at stake. But Borussia Dortmund should take all three points here.
Although BVB could be missing several key players with injuries if they cannot recover in time for this encounter, Eden Terzic’s side have genuine momentum behind them after claiming a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United in the Champions League, as well as decent squad depth to cope with some absentees.
