Position
The Eagles are second in the table on six points. The last time the team from Frankfurt managed two wins at the start of the season was in 2012/13. Things are looking very good for coach Dino Toppmöller's team. Nevertheless, Frankfurt's sporting director Markus Krösche put a slight dampener on being too enthusiastic at a press conference earlier this week: "We can be very satisfied with the start to the season, but it's still too early to draw any conclusions or make any predictions. We might know where we stand after ten games." On the first two Bundesliga matchdays, Eintracht have already presented themselves as a well-rehearsed unit, exuding great confidence in defence as well as a great deal of enthusiasm for the game. "Our moves in the game are right, the team and the coaching staff know each other very well," said Krösche. "The players know what Dino Toppmöller and the other coaches expect of them."
The goals for the season have also been clearly formulated: According to Krösche, they want to be back in Europe next season and therefore stay at the top of the league for as long as possible. Eintracht have also set their sights high in the Champions League, which last season's third-placed team can now take part in for the second time since 2022/23. Their opponents are Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, Napoli, Atalanta, Barcelona, Qarabag, Tottenham Hotspur and - to kick things off next week - Galatasaray. "We wanted Champions League and we’ve got Champions League - we're looking forward to it," said Krösche taking account of the high-calibre opponents. Eintracht Frankfurt also have a cracking draw in the DFB Pokal. At the end of October, the Eagles host Borussia Dortmund at Deutsche Bank Park in the big match of the second round.
Personnel
As so often in recent years, Eintracht once again lost a top striker this summer. Hugo Ekitiké, who moved to Liverpool, scored 15 goals in 33 games for the Eagles last season. A strike rate his successor at the Hessen club was able to surpass. Jonathan Burkardt, who signed from Mainz 05, scored 18 times in 29 appearances in 2024/25. The Germany international only needed 72 shots for his 18 goals - every fourth shot was on target. "Jonny's intensity, speed and finishing are a perfect fit for us," says Markus Krösche.
Frankfurt's second new signing for the attack is also ice-cold in front of goal, as the game at TSG Hoffenheim showed. Ritsu Doan excelled with two goals and an assist. The Frankfurt match-winner was the top scorer at SC Freiburg last season with ten goals. The speedy right winger has fitted in perfectly at Eintracht in a very short space of time. "It feels like he's been here for a long time," said Eintracht captain Robin Koch about the 27-year-old Japanese player. Doan is likely to be back in the starting line-up on Friday evening, as he was allowed to leave the Japan trip to the USA early in order to return to Frankfurt in time to prepare for the match against Bayer 04. Will Jonathan Burkardt also be available again? The striker recently had to pull out at short notice against Hoffenheim due to back problems. However, there are indications he will be able to play against the Werkself.
Eintracht's third new summer signing, goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, is likely to be a starter at Leverkusen. The 30-year-old came from Werder Bremen as a replacement for Kevin Trapp (Paris FC) and he produced commanding performances in his first two appearances. Eintracht will also soon be able to call on keeper Kaua Santos again, who is about to make his comeback after suffering a torn cruciate. It remains to be seen when Mario Götze will be back on the pitch. The 33-year-old World Cup winner came on as a substitute in the first league game against Werder Bremen after a four-month injury lay-off, but had to drop out again a week later in Sinsheim due to muscular problems. However, coach Dino Toppmöller does not have to worry about his midfield line-up. He has plenty of choice. Hugo Larsson and Farès Chaibi have been playing as sixes recently. Ellyes Skhiri, Oscar Højlund and Mahmoud Dahoud are top alternatives. In addition to new signing Doan, youngsters Jean-Matteo Bahoya (20) and Can Uzun (19) also showed what they can do in attack in the first few games. Like the Japanese player, both have already scored twice. Ansgar Knauff, Elye Wahi and Michy Batshuayi are also available up front. Only centre-forward Jessic Ngankam will be missing for some time due to a broken leg.
Problems
So far, Eintracht have hardly shown any weaknesses. Now, however, an opponent awaits on Friday night who the Eagles have failed to get a result against away from home over recent years. In the last ten visits to Leverkusen, the Frankfurt team have returned home without picking up any points.
Performers
The Eintracht attack impresses with relaxed play and high efficiency. Twelve goals in the first three competitive matches speak for themselves. While Uzun and Bahoya stood out in the 4-1 win against Werder Bremen, Ritsu Doan was named player of the match in the 3-1 win against Hoffenheim. Eintracht are also strong in defence. The defence around captain Robin Koch looks solid. New international Nnamdi Collins was criticised after his debut for Germany (in a 2-0 defeat against Slovakia). But the 21-year-old, born in Düsseldorf, has undoubtedly developed into one of Germany's best defenders under Dino Toppmöller. The same applies to U21 international Nathaniel Brown (22), who was one of the regular starters on the left side of the defence last season. Two other outfield players in the back four, Arthur Theate and Rasmus Kristensen, bring plenty of experience to the side. Thanks to composed defensive displays, the Eagles have only conceded two goals in three games so far. However, Eintracht's football under Dino Toppmöller is characterised above all by lightning-fast, straightforward transitional play, which makes Frankfurt a highly dangerous counter-attacking team.
