Our next opponents: Eintracht Frankfurt

Position

Eintracht are third – that says it all. After years of ups and downs, the former Leverkusen player Niko Kovac has turned Frankfurt into a truly top team. SGE have clocked up ten wins so far – more than in the whole of last season. And the 35 points to date represents the best return since the 1992/93 season when Eintracht ended the campaign in third place. Frankfurt have also succeeded in qualifying for the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup with a 2-1 away win at Hannover 96. They are favourites to go through to the last four having been drawn against Armenia Bielefeld in the next round.

Personnel

The Eintracht squad has players from 14 countries – the highest number of any club in the Bundesliga. The Croat Kovac appears to be exactly the right man to mould this diverse group into an effective team. The fluidity of the approach to games reflects the various cultures in the team. Whether it's 3-5-2 or 4-4-2, Eintracht have led the way this term in finding the right tactics against each opponent.

Potential

The squad is certainly not full of superstars but, as is often the case, that is not so important. Defending also relies on determination and Frankfurt have proved to be strong at the back. Just 15 goals have been conceded with FC Bayern having let in three less. Eintracht have conceded the fewest goals from open play: nine. In the last seven fixtures, the own goal by Jesus Vallejo was the only goal against not conceded from a set piece. Lukas Hradecky, a Finland team-mate of Joel Pohjanpalo, is considered to be one of the best keepers in the league and central defender Vallejo, currently on loan from Real Madrid, has impressed in nearly every match. Eintracht have kept nine clean sheets this term – even FC Bayern are unable to better that stat.

Problems

You have to look hard to find any. However, it could be a problem in the short term that the 33-year-old Szabolcs Huszti has left the club for China as there is a shortage of holding midfielders in the squad. Kovac will have to find an answer if Makoto Hasebe or Omar Mascarell are sidelined. Also, central midfielders Marc Stendera and Marco Fabián are both out of action at the moment.

Prediction

Eintracht are on course for Europe. It remains to be seen whether they can qualify for the Champions League. But any team that takes four points from the matches against Bayern and Borussia Dortmund are certainly in with a shout. As well as the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup is also a target for the ambitious Frankfurt team: The tie against Bielefeld puts the semi-finals in sight and that would take Eintracht just one stop away from the final in Berlin.