Our next opponents: Eintracht and their new shooting star

Position

The divas from the Main were not on top form last weekend as they lost 3-0 at Bochum. Hardened Eagles fans may have thought typical Eintracht. A few days before that, the team produced an impressive performance against Tottenham Hotspur (0-0) in the Champions League. And on matchday eight in the Bundesliga they sent league leaders Union Berlin packing with a 2-0 win thereby inflicting the first defeat of the season on the Berliners. That was then followed by the poor display away to bottom of the table VfL Bochum who were without a win up to that point. Eintracht had a dismal afternoon at Castroper Straße. "We didn't turn up," said disappointed sporting director Markus Krösche. "You just can't afford to put in a performance like that."

Are Eintracht Jekyll and Hyde again this season? As in 2021/22? Back then the Eagles excelled in Europe by winning the Europa League but only ended up eleventh in the Bundesliga at the end of the campaign. And head coach Oliver Glasner is bothered by that phenomenon. The Austrian wants his team to be more consistent. "I'll really get stuck in so that we can allow these divas from the Main to still be divas but only from their positive side."

The coach did take a lot of positives from Wednesday night at White Hart Lane. Eintracht did lose 3-2 at Tottenham Hotspur but produced a courageous and battling performance. His team "impressed him in many ways," said Glasner before adding: "I'd like us to play with our identity and personality. We did that. It's incredible what the lads did after Tuta was sent off. We came back after making four substitutions and we had chances to level. That's the Eintracht Frankfurt identity." The team from Hessen are bottom of Group D but the side currently eighth in the Bundesliga still have a chance of reaching the Round of 16 in the Champions League. "But to do that, we have to win the last two games," said captain Sebastian Rode.

Personnel

As in London, Glasner will not be able to call on his winger Ansgar Knauff against Bayer 04 on Saturday. The 20-year-old suffered a thigh injury in the final pre-match training session ahead of the Champions League game and he did not travel to England. Defender Luca Pellegrini (23) is also ruled out with a shoulder problem. Christopher Lenz (28) replaced him in London. One alternative up front is the young Faride Alidou (21) who scored against Tottenham on Wednesday to make it 3-2 after coming on as a sub.

It remains to be seen whether key defender Makoto Hasebe will be available against the Werkself. The 38-year-old Japan international went off with a knock in the game against Spurs. If the stalwart is sidelined, the Croat Hrvoje Smolcic (22) could start for the first time this season. Or Glasner will play a back four with Evan Ndicka (23) in central defence alongside the Brazilian Tuta (23) who was sent off in London for a second yellow card offence. Sebastian Rode and Djibril Sow are the first names on the team sheet in central midfield. One alternative here would be Eric Dina Ebimbe (21).

Glasner has a number of top players in attack. Mario Götze (30), signed from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, says he is "super happy" in Frankfurt. The 2014 World Cup winner has started almost every game. Things have not gone quite so well for the former Werkself player Lucas Alario (30). The Argentinian centre-forward has only made two starts this season. And the Colombian Rafael Borré (27), Frankfurt's Europa League hero from last season, has mostly been on the bench. That is mainly due to a new shooting star playing his way into the limelight at Eintracht: the Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani (23) has played up front up to now. The striker signed from FC Nantes has only scored twice but he is the best provider in the Bundesliga with five assists to date. Daichi Kamada (26) and Jesper Lindström (22) have proven quality in attacking midfield. Kamada is currently top scorer for Eintracht with four goals

Performers

Eintracht and their strikers has mostly been a success story in recent years. Sebastien Haller, Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic and André Silva developed into sought-after top players at Frankfurt and they are now plying their trade elsewhere. Randal Kolo Muani is on course to be the next shining star in the Eintracht attack. The 6 foot 2 Frenchman has it all: pace, penetration, enthusiasm, technique, team spirit and hunger for goals. His excellent start in the Bundesliga recently brought his first call-up for the Equipe Tricolore. And the Eagles also have other excellent players in attack. Kamada, Alario, Lindström, Borré, Knauff, Götze: The players available up front provide Oliver Glasner with lots of options. The Werkself will have to be on their toes for Frankfurt set pieces. Six of their 16 goals this season have come from dead balls.

Problems

Talking about set plays: As dangerous as the Hessen team are from their own, they are equally susceptible from dead balls from their opponents. The nine goals conceded from set plays this season is the second worst return in the Bundesliga. VfL Bochum scored their three goals from a corner, a free kick and a throw-in. And in the 4-3 win at Werder Bremen, Frankfurt conceded all the goals from set pieces. The lack of organisation and concentration in the players in front of him have frequently wound up goalkeeper Kevin Trapp who has been on the top of his game in recent weeks. What also stands out: With their enthusiasm, Eintracht often leave spaces to their opponents when moving back – that was evident in the 3-2 defeat against Tottenham.

Prediction

Eintracht are a bit of a mixed bag. Capable of everything either positive or negative. It remains to be seen whether Oliver Glasner can really rid the divas of their moodiness. The matches in the Champions League are big games for Eintracht and their fans. But as the team from Hessen are not in the running for the league title they will have to focus more on the Bundesliga – so that their final position will qualify them for the European stage again next term. The squad is certainly strong enough.