Avoiding defeat in their final fixture of the season against RB Leipzig will be enough for Eintracht Frankfurt to qualify for the Europa League.
Visitors RB Leipzig have already qualified for the next season’s UEFA Champions League, and they do not really have anything to play for apart from pride. They will look for their 20th win of the season when they face hosts Eintracht Frankfurt, who are desperate for a point as they look to secure Europa League football for next season.
Eintracht Frankfurt had a great start to the season, but the second half has not really gone according to plan. They have only won three out of their last 14 league games since the beginning of February. Despite the disappointing results in the second half, they do have a lot to play for in the final fixture of the season.
The home team are three points clear of the seventh-placed Hoffenheim, and avoiding defeat in the final round will help them cement the sixth-spot helping them qualify for Europa League. Meanwhile, if Borussia Dortmund win the Champions League final against Real Madrid, Frankfurt will feature in the Champions League despite being sixth as the Bundesliga has an extra slot for next season’s edition.
The visitors have nothing to worry about as they have cemented their place in the top four and have booked their place in the group stage of next year’s Champions League. They have 64 points in their 33 outings and are four points clear of fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Die Roten Bullen are unbeaten in their last ten league outings but are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive draws and will be eager to end the season on a high with a win in this game. However, it won’t be easy, with Eintracht Frankfurt playing for an important point. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use here.
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
The home team will be without the services of Sasa Kalajdzic, Donny van de Beek, and Nnamdi Collins for this fixture. Apart from the trio, everyone else is available for selection.
Eintracht Frankfurt will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against RB Leipzig, with Kevin Trapp in goal. Tuta, Willian Pacho, and Robin Koch will form the back three. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will have the support of Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe and Ansgar Knauff who will feature out wide on the flanks.
Mario Gotze will start alongside Ellyes Skhiri in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure they do not allow Leipzig to dominate the possession and dictate the tempo of this fixture. Omar Marmoush and Fares Chaibi could feature as the attacking midfielders behind striker Hugo Ekitike, who will lead the line for Eintracht Frankfurt against RB Leipzig.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Dina Ebimbe, Gotze, Skhiri, Knauff; Marmoush, Chaibi; Ekitike
RB Leipzig
The visitors will be without the services of Xaver Schlager for this one, while Dani Olmo is doubtful, and he might not be risked. Meanwhile, PSG loanee Xavi Simons is back from suspension and should return to the XI.
RB Leipzig will go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation against Eintracht Frankfurt, with Peter Gulacsi in goal. Mohamed Simakan and David Raum will feature as the full-backs, while Willi Orban and Castello Lukeba will be the centre-back pairing for this fixture.
Christoph Baumgartner and Xavi Simons should feature on the flanks, while Nicolas Seiwald should pair up with Amadou Haidara in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate the proceedings. In attack, Lois Openda who has been in sensational form will line up alongside Benjamin Sesko
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Simakan, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Baumgartner, Haidara, Seiwald, Simons; Openda, Sesko
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig are unbeaten in their last 10 league outings.
- Since the beginning of February, Eintracht Frankfurt have only won three out of their last 14 league games.
- RB Leipzig have not won any of their previous eight visits to Frankfurt.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have only lost two out of their 16 home games this season.
- The home team won the reverse fixture 1-0 earlier in the season.
Player to Watch
Lois Openda
Openda has had a sensational debut season in the Bundesliga. The Leipzig striker, who arrived in the summer has featured in 33 league games and has contributed towards 31 goals. He has found the back of the net on 24 occasions and will be eager to add to his tally in the final fixture of the season. Given the kind of form he is in, the Belgian ace is the one to watch out for.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 RB Leipzig
Eintracht Frankfurt have a great record against RB Leipzig at home, and they did win the reverse fixture as well. But they are not in the best of forms heading into this one having only won three out of their last 14 outings. They have been winless in their last three games, and that is unlikely to change against Leipzig.
The visitors have been unbeaten in their last 11 matches in all competitions and are expected to make it 12 here. They have a lot of quality in their ranks and based on form they should be the ones to come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the visitors.
