RB Leipzig will take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of DFB Pokal on Saturday, looking to win the trophy for the second year in a row.
Rb Leipzig have enjoyed great success in the DFB-Pokal in recent seasons, having reached the final for the fourth time in the last five years, with the latest being against Eintracht Frankfurt. On the other hand, Die Adler have won the trophy five times in their history and will be hoping for another crowning moment tomorrow.
The last time they won the trophy was back in 2018 against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. The two teams have looked quite evenly matched when they have met in the Bundesliga earlier this season, and this should be a cracking contest.
Do. It. Again.#WirSindLeipzig 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/j2Kcz0QmLa
— RB Leipzig (@RBLeipzig) June 2, 2023
Team News & Tactics
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig will be without the services of Andre Silva, who is ruled out with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, star defender Josko Gvardiol is also set to miss out. Die Roten Bullen are set to start in a 4-4-2 formation, with Janis Blaswich in goal.
Benjamin Henrichs and Marcel Halstenberg will be deployed as the full-backs here. The two players will look to help out offensively apart from their defensive duties. In the centre of the defence, Mohamed Simakan will start alongside Willi Orban.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Dani Olmo should be deployed as the wingers here. But they are likely to operate as attacking midfielders who will drift inside and outnumber Frankfurt in the middle of the park.
Amadou Haidara and Konrad Laimer will start in the centre of the midfield, and they will look to break up the opposition play and win the ball back for their side. Finally, Christopher Nkunku will lead the line alongside Timo Werner here.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Orban, Halstenberg; Szoboszlai, Haidara, Laimer, Olmo; Nkunku, Werner
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt will be without the services of Marcel Wenig and Hrvoje Smolcic because of injuries. They are likely to line up in a 4-4-2 formation as well, with Kevin Trapp in goal.
Almamy Toure and Christopher Lenz will be deployed as the full-backs. Evan Ndicka will start in the heart of the defence alongside Tuta. In the wide areas, Ansgar Knauff and Mario Goetze will look to add creativity and flair.
Sebastian Rode will start in the middle of the park alongside Djibril Sow. The two players will look to break up the opposition’s attacks. Randal Kolo Muani and Daichi Kamada will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trapp; Toure, Ndicka, Tuta, Lenz; Gotze, Sow, Rode, Knauff; Kolo Muani; Kamada
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig, who are contesting their third final in four years, are bidding to become the seventh different team to win back-to-back DFB Cups. Frankfurt are one of them, having done so in 1974/75 & 1975/76.
- Eintracht Frankfurt won their only previous cup meeting with Leipzig 3-1 in the 2019/20 Round of 16. The Eagles’ overall record against their Bundesliga rivals currently reads an even: W4 D7 L4.
- Four of the last six matches between these RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt have ended in a draw after normal time.
- 13 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides. Both teams have scored in four of the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Randal Kolo Muani is the top scorer in DFB-Pokal this season with six goals, one more than Timo Werner.
Player to Watch
Randal Kolo Muani
— ًًً (@fcbsena22) May 18, 2023
The 24-year-old Frenchman has been in the form of his life, and he could make a big difference for Eintracht Frankfurt here. In the absence of Josko Gvardiol, RB Leipzig will have a weakened defence, and Kolo Muani will look to make his mark here.
The Frenchman has 23 goals and 17 assists to his name across all competitions and he has seven strikes in his last ten outings. Meanwhile, his performances have alerted top clubs like Manchester United. The 24-year-old is a man in form and he is our player to watch out for.
Prediction
RB Leipzig 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and they managed to pick up one win a piece when they met in the Bundesliga earlier this season. Eintracht Frankfurt clinched a comprehensive 4-0 win over RB Leipzig back in September, and they will be hoping for a repeat performance year.
The absence of Andre Silva and Josko Gvardiol will certainly weaken RB Leipzig here. So Eintracht Frankfurt should be able to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Eintracht Frankfurt.