Eintracht Frankfurt will welcome a high-flying Napoli to the Deutsche Bank Park for their UEFA Champions League Last 16 clash on Tuesday.
German side Eintracht Frankfurt will face off against Italian juggernauts Napoli in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash at the Deutsche Bank Park on Tuesday night.
Oliver Glasner’s men finished second in Group D behind Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the 11th different German side to make it to this stage of the competition. More Bundesliga sides have now qualified for the knockout stages of Europe’s top competition.
Frankfurt’s reward, if you can call it one, is to face off against a Napoli side that seems unstoppable. Luciano Spalletti’s men are runaway leaders in Serie A and will take some stopping. Liverpool defeated them 2-0 in the group stage but Frankfurt will need to up their game to repeat the result.
Napoli have consistently blown teams away this season and can be seen as the dark horses for the title. Buoyed by a young lineup that has excellent chemistry, Europe will do well to sit up and take notice. The Partenopei are as good as any side still in the competition and a win on Tuesday will reinforce that belief.
Frankfurt have a rather exciting side of their own and possess the right mix of guile and experience. They have come a long way since the opening day 6-1 thrashing at home vs Bayern Munich and are now within touching distance of a top-four finish.
After a significant time, Frankfurt have arrived at this stage and will be keen to give their fans something to cheer about. While Napoli are the favourites, one cannot dismiss Frankfurt from springing a surprise, especially at home. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
🔜 @sscnapoli 💥⚽️
📅 21 February
⏰ 21:00 CET
🏆 @ChampionsLeague | Round of 16, First leg
📲 Preview: https://t.co/mEt5AVMeq2#SGEuropa | #SGENapoli pic.twitter.com/y3IUv1kf7T— Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_eng) February 20, 2023
It has been 63 years since Eintracht Frankfurt faced off against Real Madrid in the final of Europe’s top competition. While it will take a dream run for them to repeat the exploits, a new generation will be keen to experience European football to its fullest.
Having defeated Werder Bremen at the weekend, Oliver Glasner’s side go into the game in good form. Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe is the club’s lone injury concern as they seek to take down one of Europe’s top sides this season, Napoli.
Buoyed by the home crowd, the Germans will be keen to get off to a fast start. Glasner looks likely to retain his faith in the 3-4-2-1 system that has brought Frankfurt much joy this season. The tactical freedom it offers to convert to a 5-4-1 while defending is a further bonus.
Kevin Trapp should start in goal behind the back three of Tuta, Evan Ndicka and Hrvoje Smolcic. Philipp Max and Aurelio Buta will start as the full-backs, providing width at both ends of the pitch. The duo will also be tasked with keeping Hirving Lozano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet. Doing so is likely to leave Victor Osimhen isolated, taking the sting out of the Napoli attack.
Daichi Kamada and Djibril Sow will be handed the keys to the midfield. The central duo will provide the base for the duo of Mario Gotze and Jesper Lindstrom to push forward and assist Randal Kolo Muani in the attack.
Three Frankfurt stars, Buta, Makoto Hasebe and Kristijan Jakic are all one suspension away from missing the second leg. Glasner will hope that while his side stays competitive, they do not allow their emotions to get the better of them.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Smolcic, Ndicka, Tuta; Buta, Kamada, Sow, Max; Lindstrom, Gotze; Kolo Muani
Napoli
Victor Osimhen limped off in the club’s win over Sassuolo but is expected to be fit for the game on Tuesday night. This leaves Luciano Spalletti with a full squad except Giacomo Raspadori to choose from for the game.
Napoli have been robust at the back and free-flowing in attack, a perfect blend for a side looking to upset the apple cart in European football. They are odds on to secure a first Scudetto since 1990 and could yet be the surprise package in this year’s Champions League.
Spalletti is unlikely to deviate from his 4-3-3 formation and is expected to play his best XI on the night. Alex Meret will serve in goal behind the back four of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Kim Min-jae and Mario Rui.
📸🏃♂️
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/b00KpHQgHk
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) February 20, 2023
Stanislav Lobotka is set to anchor the midfield, giving Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Piotr Zielinski the freedom to push forward. This will allow Hirving Lozano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to stay out wide and interchange with Victor Osimhen upfront.
The front three of Napoli are in top form and should cause Frankfurt several issues. Having lost to Liverpool last time around, Napoli will be keen to not let their opponent set the pace of the game.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Rui; Lobotka, Anguissa, Zielinski; Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen, Lozano
Key Stats
- This is the third meeting between both sides in a competitive setup. Eintracht Frankfurt have won both the previous meetings in 1994. Napoli have failed to find the back of the net in both of their meetings with Eintracht Frankfurt so far.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have lost just two of their previous 11 meetings against Italian opposition, The last Italian side to get the better of them was Palermo in 2006.
- A win on the night will see Napoli extend their winning streak away to German sides to three matches.
- Eintracht Frankfurt is the 11th different German side to take part in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, more than any other nation.
- Oliver Glasner is the first Austrian coach to win two UEFA Champions League games in a row. He also holds the record for most wins in a single campaign by an Austrian coach-three. Both records will crumble if Eintracht Frankfurt secure a win on Tuesday.
Player to Watch
Randal Kolo Muani
The French international is Frankfurt’s go-to player and is in top form this season. With 15 goals and 14 assists in 30 appearances across all competitions, Kolo Muani is a constant nuisance for opposition defences.
His ability to make runs into space and draw players to himself will also open up space for his teammates to run into. Playing at the head of the Frankfurt frontline, Kolo Muani will be the home side’s most potent attacking threat.
The 24-year-old has been able to put his FIFA World Cup final heartbreak behind him and continues to thrive for Frankfurt. With several clubs keeping a close eye on his form, Kolo Muani can make a case for himself by putting Napoli to the sword.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Napoli
Both teams go into the game in good form and will fancy their chances of seizing the advantage going into the second leg. Napoli have the better players on paper and their in-form frontline could decide the outcome of the game. It promises to be a close game that is likely to be decided by individual brilliance. The Hard Tackle believes both sides will cancel out each other in a feisty 1-1 draw.
