Eintracht Frankfurt will look to strengthen their position inside the top four with a win over a struggling Borussia Dortmund outfit on Friday.
Borussia Dortmund will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up with third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank Park. The result of this fixture could have a massive say on Nuri Sahin’s future at Signal Iduna Park.
The home team were off to a flying start, and things did go in their favour for the majority of the season half. But, they recently went through a rough patch where they were winless in five matches across competitions. Frankfurt have managed to bring an end to that run and have won their last two outings heading into this fixture.
While the hosts might be nine points behind league leaders Bayern Munich, they will be happy with the position they are in and would like to ensure they stay inside the top four until the end. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund are expected to be involved in the title race almost every season, but that is not the case this time around.
Nuri Sahin has not been able to get his ideas across to the players, and they have been very inconsistent so far. The Black and Yellows are tenth on the points table with just seven wins in their 17 outings, having lost their last two games heading into this fixture.
The defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Holstein Kiel has put immense pressure on Sahin, and a negative result against Eintracht Frankfurt could lead to a potential sacking. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
The home team will be without the services of Aurele Amenda. Apart from him, everyone else is expected to be available for selection.
Eintracht Frankfurt will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation where Kevin Trapp will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Tuta, Robin Koch, and Arthur Theate. They will receive some significant support from Nnamdi Collins and Nathaniel Brown, who should feature as wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Hugo Larsson should form a partnership with Ellyes Skhiri. The duo will try to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have more of the ball.
Former Borussia Dortmund star Mario Gotze will take up the number ten role. Omar Marmoush, who has been linked with a winter move to Manchester City, should be in the starting XI unless the Premier League giants have managed to strike a deal. Hugo Ekitike should partner with the Egyptian international in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Theate; Collins, Larsson, Skhiri, Brown; Gotze; Ekitike, Marmoush
Borussia Dortmund
Niklas Sule remains out injured but apart from him, everyone else is expected to be available for this one. With everyone back fit following the flu outbreak, Nuri Sahin is expected to make quite a few changes to the starting XI.
The away side will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Gregor Kobel should continue in goal. Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Nico Schlotterbeck should partner Waldemar Anton.
The back four will look to keep things tight at the back as they go up against one of the most in-form forwards in the world in Marmoush. They will receive significant support from Emre Can and Felix Nmecha, who will form the double pivot in midfield.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julien Duranville will provide much-needed width to their attacks from the flanks while Julian Brandt will take up the number ten role. Meanwhile, Serhou Guirassy should lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Nmecha; Bynoe-Gittens, Brandt, Duranville; Guirassy
Key Stats
- After a run of five games without a win, Eintracht Frankfurt have won each of their last two outings.
- Borussia Dortmund have only lost one out of their last four games away from home.
- Dortmund have only won one out of their last seven games across competitions.
- The away team won the reverse fixture 2-0 back in August.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have only lost one out of their 12 league games at Deutsche Bank Park.
Player to Watch
Omar Marmoush
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Given the kind of form Marmoush has been in, he has to be the one to watch out for. The 25-year-old forward has 34 goal contributions in his 26 outings, and he is only second to Mohamed Salah in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of most goal contributions. His red-hot form suggests he could be the difference between the two teams at the end of the day.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 Borussia Dortmund
While Borussia Dortmund have not been in the best of forms, they will surely give Frankfurt a run for their money. With all their key players back in the mix, Nuri Sahin’s team will go all out for all three points. But, they might not be able to go past an Eintracht Frankfurt outfit that has been playing some impressive football. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 3-2 win for the home team.
