Bayer Leverkusen will take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank Park, looking to continue their bid to end the season without a defeat.
Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in all competitions, and they have done quite well against Eintracht Frankfurt in the recent meetings. Die Werkself will look to continue their impressive run of form against Sunday’s opposition.
Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt are sixth in the league table, and they will look to secure UEFA Europa League qualification for the next season. With just three games remaining in the league, Frankfurt will need to finish strongly to play European football next season, and it remains to be seen whether they can grind out a positive result at home.
The last time these two sides met back in December, Bayer Leverkusen picked up a comprehensive 3-0 win at home. Eintracht Frankfurt will be looking to avenge that defeat here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
Sebastian Rode misses out with a knee injury, while Sasa Kalajdzic has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with ACL damage. Eintracht Frankfurt are likely to shape up in are 4-4-1-1 formation, with Kevin Trapp in goal.
Tuta and Philipp Max will start as the full-backs. They will look to nullify the wide threat from Bayer Leverkusen and protect the Eintracht Frankfurt central defenders. The in-demand Willian Pacho will start alongside Robin Koch at the heart of the defence.
In the middle of the park, Mario Gotze will start alongside Ellyes Skhiri. The duo will look to add creativity and control to the side. Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe and Ansgar Knauff will start in the wide areas.
They will look to add creativity and pace to the side and help out during counter attacking situations. Finally, Omar Marmoush will start as the second striker, with Hugo Ekitike leading the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Buta, Ebimbe, Gotze, Skhiri, Knauff; Marmoush; Ekitike
Bayer Leverkusen
Borja Iglesias misses out with a muscle injury for Bayer Leverkusen, while Adam Hlozek is sidelined with an ankle problem. Lukas Hradecky will start in goal for the visitors. In the back three, Odilon Kossounou will start alongside Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie.
Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo should feature as the two wing-backs. They will look to add creativity and goals to the side from the wide areas. Exequiel Palcios will add defensive cover in the midfield and look to break up opposition attacks. Granit Xhaka will add control and composure alongside him.
Florian Wirtz and Amine Adli will start as the attacking midfielders, and they will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Finally, Patrik Schick will lead the line for Bayer Leverkusen against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli; Schick
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in their 31 matches in the Bundesliga this season, while their run across all competitions has stretched to 47 games.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have seen over 2.5 goals in 12 of their last 13 matches against Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have won their last five home matches against Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions.
- Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in four of their last six matches against Eintracht Frankfurt.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have picked up just one win from the last six league matches.
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
The 21-year-old has been in exceptional form for Bayer Leverkusen, and he will be expected to open up the Frankfurt defence with his passing, creativity and vision. Wirtz has 11 goals and 11 assists in the Bundesliga this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. Eintracht Frankfurt have been vulnerable defensively at times, and the attacking midfielder has the quality to punish them.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Both teams will look to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Although Bayer Leverkusen have been difficult to beat, they have dropped quite a few points in recent weeks. It will not be a surprise if the two teams end up cancelling each other out and sharing the points here.
