VfB Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Eintracht Frankfurt will be aiming for a third DFB Pokal final in seven years when they take on Stuttgart in the semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Defending UEFA Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt travel to the Mercedes-Benz Arena to take on VfB Stuttgart in the first leg of their DFB Pokal semi-final on Wednesday night.

Frankfurt lost the final in 2017 before going on to lift it a year later. Five-time winners of the competition, they will be keen to add a sixth to the tally this season. With Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund both out, they have a real shot at going all the way.

Stuttgart, for their part, last lifted the trophy in 1997, 25 years ago. They made the final in 2007 and 2013, losing to FC Nurnberg and Bayern Munich respectively. In a season where they continue to flirt with relegation, the cup run has come as a welcome distraction.

Frankfurt go into the tie as favourites and will be expected to progress to the final. Stuttgart’s best chance of causing an upset lies in taking a lead to protect from the first leg. Playing in front of their own fans, Sebastian Hoeness will be keen to give them something to celebrate.

Hoeness has improved the club’s fortunes since taking over from Bruno Labbadia last month. He could add another feather to his cap by taking Die Schwaben to glory. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.

Team News & Tactics

VfB Stuttgart

The 2-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach saw Stuttgart get out of the relegation zone on goal difference at the weekend. They will now have some momentum going into the tie and will hope to make it two wins in a row across all competitions.

The three-time champions have a nearly fully-fit squad at their disposal for the game. Nikolas Nartey looks set to miss out while Serhou Guirassy came off the field at halftime against Gladbach and is a doubt for the game. The striker’s injury does not appear to be serious and he could make at least the bench. 

Sebastian Hoeness will, however, have his eye on the weekend’s clash against Hertha Berlin and could take it into account while picking his playing XI. A relegation six-pointer, it is a game where Stuttgart cannot afford to drop points.

The home side are expected to line up in a 5-3-2 system, with Florian Muller replacing Fabian Bredlow in goal.  The trio of Konstantinos Mavropanos, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Waldemar Anton will form the central defence with Josha Vagnoman and Borna Sosa acting as wing-backs.

Atakan Karazor will function as the haymaker in central midfield with Genki Haraguchi and Wataru Endo flanking him. The trio will be expected to play in a narrow line should Vagnoman and Sosa push forward on the flanks.

Silas Katompa Mvumpa is expected to start upfront alongside Tiago Tomas. Guirassy could come off the bench to replace Thomas in the second half.

Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Muller; Vagnoman, Mavropanos, Zagadou, Anton, Sosa; Haraguchi, Karazor, Endo; Silas, Tomas

Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintracth Frankfare currently ninth in the table, five points off a European spot. Winning the Pokal remains their best shot of making the Europa League for next season and is an opportunity they will not want to miss out on.

Oliver Glasner’s side have been rather inconsistent this season and he cannot afford to take a win for granted. Add to it injury concerns. And it is clear to see that the visitors will have some concerns. Kristijan Jakic, Evan Ndicka, Philipp Max and Hrvoje Smolcic are all unavailable with star striker Randal Kolo-Muani recovering from an adductor issue. The Frenchman missed the weekend’s clash against Augsburg, and Frankfurt will hope that he returns to action for the night.

Jesper Lindstrom returned to action at the weekend and should be in contention to feature on the night. The same goes for Djibril Sow who was rested at the weekend. That is assuming he recovers from his illness. Glasner will be aware that winning the competition is the most straightforward way to qualify for Europa and is likely to play his strongest XI possible.

A 3-4-2-1 appears to be the order of the day with  Kevin Trapp in goal. He will be protected by the back three of Tuta, Makoto Hasebe and Christopher Lenz. Aurelio Buta and Ansgar Knauff will act as the full-backs providing width.

The central midfield will be patrolled by Sebastian Rode and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe. The duo should provide a platform for Jesper Lindstrom and Mario Gotze to thrive as dual number 10s. Even if he is remotely fit, Kolo Muani will be trusted to lead the line.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Tuta, Haseba, Lenz ; Buta, Rode, Ebimbe, Knauff; Borre, Gotze; Kolo Muani

Key Stats

• Eintracht Frankfurt have won the competition five times in their history, also making the final eight times. 
• VfB Stuttgart are also five-time champions, last winning the title in 1997.  They have made the final seven times.
• With five goals, Randal Kolo Muani is the tournament’s top scorer. He is joint top with RB Leipzig ace Timo Werner.
• Mario Gotze has won the competition four times, twice each with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. 

Player to Watch

Randal Kolo Muani

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The Frenchman is Frankfurt’s best attacker and will feature even if he is 50-50 in terms of fitness. With several players out, Kolo Muani could give Frankfurt the best chance of getting a result ahead of the second leg.

The 23-year-old is also subject to heavy interest from several top European sides and is the joint top scorer of the competition this season. He will not do himself any harm by adding to that tally on the night.

Prediction

VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Both teams know there is a realistic chance of going all the way and are a mere three wins from glory and a European spot to boot. Spread over two legs, the first match is likely to be a closed-off affair with both sides feeling out each other. Stuttgart will do well to come out on top but the difference in quality should see Frankfurt hold them to a draw.