Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur renew hostilities ahead of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg, with a place in the final at stake.
Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoller would have been the happier of the two managers from the first-leg encounter in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals against Tottenham Hotspur in North London. The Bundesliga side ensured they walked away with a draw from the opening fixture, with the second leg now evenly poised as the result could go either way.
The way the Frankfurt fans created an atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one can only assume they will ten-fold it in their home ground. Back in North London, a tremendous Hugo Ekitike gave the Germans a lead in the tie, only for Pedro Porro to level things midway through the first half.
Frankfurt’s inexperienced stopper Kaua Santos was the busier of the two keepers, as he was the reason why the Germans were able to see out the game and keep the scoreline intact. There is everything to play for in this tie, as Toopmoller will want an unbelievable atmosphere and take advantage of an under-pressure Tottenham side coming to Germany.
Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will have wanted more from the first leg, as he would have been a bit happier had his side taken an advantage then. However, that was not the case, as Spurs could not breach past Frankfurt keeper Santos despite making their best efforts in the first leg.
The second-leg clash has far more significance to Tottenham than Frankfurt in the sense that Postecoglou’s job is certainly on the line. A loss here will have a bearing on his future at the club, as bowing out of the Europa League will break the final thread between Spurs and European football next season.
Tottenham were hammered by Wolves in the Premier League at the weekend, which was their 17th loss of the campaign, which is more than half of the games played in the top flight. The Europa League offers an escape of sorts for Spurs, as their fans will be dreaming of winning this, and making it to the Champions League next season. Standing in their way are Frankfurt and a hostile atmosphere at the Deutsche Bank Park.
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
DIno Toppmoller has a few positive things to take since the first leg as he welcomed back key stars Elye Wahi and Can Uzun in that clash, as the duo came off the bench to play their part. The latter even started at the weekend against Hiedenheim in Frankfurt’s 3-0 win, meaning the manager will certainly bank on them, either from the start or on the bench.
Toppmoller also used Oscar Hojlund in the main lineup at the weekend as he rested key stars Mario Gotze and Hugo Larsson, as the Dane is unregistered for the Europa League, which could pave the way for the duo to make a return.
Frankfurt are indeed missing key star Ansgar Knauff in their setup, and while his status is deemed doubtful, the likelihood of Toppmoller not considering him for Thursday remains high. Similarly, first-choice goalkeeper, Kevin Trapp is a significant doubt for this home clash, although there is an expectation he could be close to a return.
If fully fit he will start between the sticks or Santos, who has been impressive in the last two games will be the custodian for Frankfurt. Goalscorers at the weekend Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Hugo Ekitike are penciled in to start in the final third, as they will be key to helping the team get going, preferably early in this tie against Tottenham.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Shkiri, Tuta, Larsson; Gotze, Ekitike, Bahoya
Tottenham Hotspur
The big worry for Tottenham is the fitness of skipper Son Heung-min, who missed the weekend with a foot issue. The South Korean is deemed a doubt for this clash although Postecoglou is hoping to have him fit enough to feature in some capacity. Incidentally, in light of Son’s absence from the Wolves game, the manager rested Wilson Odobert, which may have been an indication of a plan B if the skipper is not fit for the trip to Frankfurt.
The wider expectation is for the South Korean to start on the left with Brennan Johnson on the right. Postecoglou also rested the likes of Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven for Wolves, with the defensive duo set to take their places in the backline on Thursday.
Pedro Porro is expected to start in the right-back slot, meaning Djed Spence will be deemed good enough only for the bench. Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison will be trusted with the midfield duties for Tottenham, while Dominic Solanke leads the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son
Key Stats
- Eintracht Frankfurt have won their last three games on home soil.
- Only Sevilla and Manchester United have played three or more UEFA Europa League semi-finals, and Eintracht Frankfurt could become the third team in that regard.
- Tottenham have one win in their last five games across all competitions.
- Tottenham have lost six of their last seven away games across all competitions.
- Tottenham have only kept one clean sheet in their last 19 away matches in the UEFA Europa League (1-0 v Qarabag in November 2015), while Eintracht Frankfurt average over two goals per home match in the competition (55 scored in 27 home games).
Player to Watch
Hugo Ekitike
The Frenchman that was on the watchlist of many clubs and analysts ahead of the first leg duly delivered in North London, and they will be eager to do so again in Frankfurt. The French attacker has been on fire, and Hugo Ekitike is ready for this big clash with Spurs on home soil.
The Tottenham defence will have a plan to stop the French striker in his tracks, although the form and momentum are firmly on Ekitike’s side ahead of this second leg. The French attacker could be the catalyst in Eintracht Frankfurt’s efforts to make the semifinals, and they are the favourites to land this spot ahead of Thursday night’s action.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham will head to Germany under tremendous pressure, mostly of their own doing, as this is a must-win game for Ange Postecoglou. While the game is poised at 1-1, the occasion of this quarter-final second leg might be too much for Spurs and their only remaining source of success this season, which may fall into Frankfurt’s hands.
Eintracht Frankfurt and their manager Dino Toppmoller will have been satisfied with the result in North London, as they are deemed the favourites to go through to the semi-finals. And rightly so, as the home advantage will certainly play a part in their quest to reach the next round, as Frankfurt have the tools to get a narrow win over Spurs on Thursday night.
