Eintracht Frankfurt will host Bayer Leverkusen at the Deutsche Bank Park on Saturday, looking to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Bayern Munich.
Eintracht Frankfurt were comprehensively beaten by Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in their last match, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly vs Bayer Leverkusen at home on Saturday. Die Adler are third in the league table and they will be hoping to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the next season.
The ome side will certainly fancy their chances against Bayer Leverkusen here. Meanwhile, the visitors are unbeaten in their last six outings in all competitions, and they are second in the Bundesliga standings. Bayer Leverkusen will look to pile further misery on Eintracht Frankfurt and close the gap with league leaders Bayern Munich with a positive result away from home.
Die Werkself have an impressive record against Eintracht Frankfurt, and it will be interesting to see if they can extend their impressive run of form against Saturday’s opposition with a victory away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
Igor Matanovic misses out with a foot injury, Timothy Chandler has a thigh injury and Tuta is suspended for the hosts. Eintracht Frankfurt are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Bayer Leverkusen, with Kevin Trapp in goal.
Robin Koch and Rasmus Kristensen will start alongside Arthur Theate in the central defensive unit. The trio will look to keep things compact at the back. Mario Gotze will start alongside Ellyes Skhiri and Hugo Larsson in the midfield, and the trio will look to add creativity and control to the side.
Nathaniel Brown and Ansgar Knauff will start in the wide areas. They will look to add creativity, flair and pace to the side. Finally, Elye Wahi will start along with Hugo Ekitike in the strike partnership for the home side.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Trapp; Koch, Kristensen, Theate; Brown, Gotze, Skhiri, Larsson, Knauff; Wahi, Ekitike
Buyer Leverkusen
Jeanuel Belocian misses out with a foot injury, Martin Terrier has an Achilles injury, and Piero Hincapie is suspended. Bayer Leverkusen will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Eintracht Frankfurt, with Lukas Hradecky in goal.
In the back three, Edmond Tapsoba will start alongside Jonathan Tah and Mario Hermoso. Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo will start in the wing-back positions. They will look to keep things compact defensively and hit Frankfurt on the break.
Granit Xhaka will start in the middle of the park alongside Aleix Garcia. They will look to add creativity, drive and defensive cover to the side. Florian Wirtz and Amine Adli will start in the attacking midfield areas. They will look to create goalscoring chances in the final third. Victor Boniface will lead the line for Bayer Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hermoso; Frimpong, Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Adli; Boniface
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in their last 21 matches in the Bundesliga.
- Bayer Leverkusen have won their last four matches vs Eintracht Frankfurt in all competitions.
- 24 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have picked up just one win from the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
The 21-year-old German international is our key player to watch out for. Wirtz has been splendid for this season, and he will look to influence the game in the final third with his creativity and scoring ability.
The 21-year-old has picked up 15 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season, and he could punish Eintracht Frankfurt here. The home side will struggle to keep him quiet, and he could make a defining contribution for the visitors.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and they are unlikely to sit back and defend. This is likely to be an open game with a fair few chances. Bayer Leverkusen are the better team on paper, and they are in better form as well.
The Bundesliga champions have enough attacking depth to find a way past the Eintracht Frankfurt resistance here and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory away from home. The visitors should be able to extend their impressive run of form against Frankfurt with another positive result against them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Xabi Alonso and his charges.
