Eintracht Frankfurt: Two aims in the home stretch

This is an emotional period for Eintracht Frankfurt. Coach Oliver Glasner’s team have dropped down to ninth position in the Bundesliga following a nine-game winless run and put their immediate return to European competition at risk in the process. But as has so often been the case in recent years, Frankfurt have proven themselves to be knockout specialists this term too and are seeking their third title in five years: their 3-2 victory at VfB Stuttgart in the semi-finals of the cup has earned them a place in the Berlin showpiece and an opportunity to add to the club trophy cabinet following their DFB-Pokal (2018) and Europa League (2022) triumphs.

But Glasner made it clear before the game at TSG Hoffenheim (Saturday at 15:30 CET / Live Ticker at tsg-hoffenheim.de) that the trip to Berlin will in no way be prioritised over the Bundesliga – even though a win over RB Leipzig in the cup final would secure qualification for the Europa League. But given they trail seventh place by only three points and sixth place by six points, they could yet qualify for European competition via a late charge in the league – and Eintracht will now be hoping to kick-start that in Sinsheim, despite their energy-sapping cup tie. “We’re still in the thick of the battle for Europe. It’s all to play for,” said Glasner. And sporting director Markus Krösche is also in a combative mood. “The season is not yet finished, we still have enough games.”

Hopes in Frankfurt rest on star striker Randal Kolo Muani, who also showed his class in Stuttgart by equalising at 1-1, making it 3-1 himself and earning the penalty for the goal beforehand. He currently tops the scoring charts for the cup with six goals. The Frenchman, who spurned a big opportunity to make France world champions at the expense of Argentina in stoppage time of the World Cup final, occupies second spot in the Bundesliga charts with 13 goals.

However, the striker is one of the few players in the Eintracht squad who has been scoring reliably this year. While Frankfurt netted 36 times in the first half of the season – only Bayern (51) and Leipzig (37) scored more – the goals have somewhat dried up in the 13 second half-season matches to date. Fourteen goals is a modest return; only 1. FC Cologne have fewer (11).

They will now be hoping to carry over the scoring prowess and will to win from the cup to Sinsheim in order to significantly improve upon their 2023 record. In terms of personnel, coach Glasner can count on his first-choice team. Eintracht do not have any injury-enforced absentees despite the cup fight, with Tuta, who was carrying a knock, expected to be available too.