Eintracht Frankfurt will host Tottenham Hotspur at the Deutsche Bank Park on Wednesday night, hoping to end a horrendous UEFA Champions League campaign on a high.
Eintracht Frankfurt have been in dreadful form in the UEFA Champions League, having suffered five defeats from their seven matches ahead of the game vs Tottenham Hotspur at the Deutsche Bank Park on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether they can give the home fans something to cheer about.
On the other hand, Tottenham have picked up three wins from their last four Champions League outings, and they will look to book their place in the round of 16 with a win here. Spurs are the better team on paper, and it remains to be seen whether they can get the job done.
Both teams are in poor form right now, so the contest should be close. Tottenham are under pressure to pick up a win here, and it will be interesting to see if the players can step up and produce a strong performance. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Eintracht Frankfurt
Timothy Chandler, Michy Batshuayi, Elias Baum, Jonathan Burkardt, and Younes Ebnoutalib miss out for the hosts. Eintracht Frankfurt are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Michael Zetterer in goal.
Aurelio Buta and Nathaniel Brown will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Spurs on the break. Robin Koch will start alongside Arthur Theate and Nnamdi Collins in the central defensive unit.
As for the midfield unit, Ellyes Skhiri and Fares Chaibi will pair up in the middle of the park, and the duo will look to add defensive cover and control to the side. Meanwhile, Ritsu Doan and Ansgar Knauff will start in the wide areas. They will look to add creativity, flair and pace to the side. Can Uzun will lead the line for Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zetterer; Collins, Koch, Theate; Buta, Skhiri, Chaibi, Brown; Doan, Knauff; Uzun
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are unavailable due to their long-term knee injuries. Ben Davies has a leg injury, and Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur have thigh problems. Lucas Bergvall has an ankle injury, and Richarlison misses out with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher is ineligible to represent Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League in the current phase.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Eintracht Frankfurt, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Palhinha will add defensive cover and physicality alongside Archie Gray. They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Xavi Simons will start in the attacking midfield role and look to link the midfield to the attack.
Wilson Odobert and Randal Kolo Muani will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur vs Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Gray; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke
Key Stats
- Eintracht Frankfurt are without a win in their last six matches in all competitions. The German outfit have conceded 16 goals in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Tottenham have picked up one from their last six matches in all competitions. They have conceded ten goals from their last six matches in all competitions.
- Tottenham Hotspur have won their last two UEFA Champions League matches and are looking for three wins in a row for the first time since November 2019. They last won three successive games with a clean sheet each time in April 2019.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have dropped more points from winning positions (9) than any other team in the UEFA Champions League this season, including three in their previous outing against Qarabag (3-2 defeat).
- Wilson Odobert has been involved in three goals in his last three UEFA Champions League starts for Tottenham (1 goal, 2 assists). The only Spurs players involved in more goals in a season aged 21 or younger are Gareth Bale in 2010/11 (4 goals, 2 assists) and Dele Alli in 2017/18 (2 goals, 4 assists).
Player to Watch
Xavi Simons
The Tottenham attacker is our key player to watch. Eintracht Frankfurt are in disastrous form right now, having gone without a win in their last six matches across all competitions. They have let in 16 goals in the last six matches, and Tottenham are likely to have plenty of openings here.
The Dutchman is likely to create chances for his teammates and find the back of the net. He will have to make a defining contribution in the final third if Tottenham want to pick up all three points.
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
The home team will look to put up a fight here, but they are struggling with the lack of form and confidence. Eintracht Frankfurt have been quite disappointing defensively, and they will struggle to contain the Tottenham attack.
Even though the North Londoners have not been at their best going forward, they have enough quality to trouble the German outfit. They should be able to pick up a comfortable victory away from home here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Thomas Frank and his charges.