Different moods can sometimes coincide. After last Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt were worried about breaking down in the season run-in but the picture looked completely different four days later. With the 2-0 victory over FC Augsburg, Eintracht have extended their lead over fifth place to four points and the dream of playing in the Champions League becomes more and more likely. "I'm happy for the whole club that we still have the chance of creating an historic moment at Frankfurt," said coach Adi Hütter. He will not be there if the team from Frankfurt does qualify for the premier club competition in Europe as he is already set to be the coach at Borussia Mönchengladbach next season. Together with the departing members of management, Fredi Bobic and Bruno Hübner, he has helped create a meteoric rise for the club in recent years. Now the trio want to say farewell with a milestone in the long history of Eintracht Frankfurt. They achieved one target with the win against Augsburg: Eintracht now have 56 points, the highest number for the club since the introduction of three points for a win – with four games to play.
While Hütter substituted his key defender Martin Hinteregger in the Augsburg game to avoid him being sent off and thereby suspended for the game against the Werkself, the Eintracht coach has to manage without another leader on the pitch. Sebastian Rode picked up his tenth yellow card against FCA and is now suspended for Saturday's game. A coincidence: The midfielder served his first suspension of the season and missed the 2-1 win for Frankfurt against the Werkself at the beginning of January. He will probably be replaced in the starting eleven by stalwart and captain Makoto Hasebe. Of the other potential starters only right back Almamy Touré is sidelined with a ligament injury and he will probably not play again this season. The same applies to striker Ragnar Ache who was only made a number of substitute appearances for Eintracht in his first season due to thigh problems.
Eintracht Frankfurt have impressively demonstrated how important the classic centre forward is in the modern game. Striker André Silva has regularly scored goals in situations that did not appear to be clear-cut chances – and that alongside winter returnee Luka Jovic who has exactly the same qualities. Second only to FC Bayern, Eintracht have the second best conversion rate in the league and have also scored the third highest number of goals. Frankfurt have also excelled in heading ability: Eintracht have scored nine goals with headers in 2021 – which is also due to the pinpoint crosses from difference maker Filip Kostic. The winger with the brilliant left foot has already provided twelve assists this season – only FC Bayern player Thomas Müller has laid on more goals.
The intensive style of play under Hütter also includes the use of tactical fouls. The team from Hessen have committed the second highest number in the league and have also picked up the most yellow cards. On the one hand, that leads to suspensions as with Rode but also presents too many set pieces for opponents – and Frankfurt have not always been solid in that area recently. Three of the goals conceded in the defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach came from dead ball situations.
Frankfurt are still in with a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League. The Werkself are the last opponents this season from the top third of the table and the match at the BayArena is followed by two home games against Mainz Freiburg plus an away fixture at the already relegated Schalke. The setback in Mönchengladbach does not appear to destabilised the team at all so that it is very likely that Eintracht will play their first Champions League game in the autumn of 2021. The only question remaining: Who will be in the dugout as the head coach?
They had their hands full in the VAR centre in Cologne: eight goals were scored at the MEWA Arena on Saturday afternoon, but only four of them were allowed in the end as the Werkself and 1. FSV Mainz 05 closed the season with a 2-2 draw. It means Bayer 04 end the 2024/25 campaign as runners-up with 69 points, representing the fourth-best season in the club's history. What's more, the Werkself are now unbeaten away from home in two whole Bundesliga seasons, with their last away defeat coming exactly two years ago on Matchday 34 of the 2022/23 season at VfL Bochum. The Black-and-Reds can continue the record run next season - albeit without Alonso and Tah. Read what else the eventful final game for the head coach and the defensive leader had to offer in the Werkself Review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-2 draw at Mainz 05 on the 34th matchday of the Bundesliga 2024/25...
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Bayer 04’s final game of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season saw VAR drama and produced a new record for away results with a 2-2 draw in Mainz. The hosts had several goals ruled out before Paul Nebel put them ahead. Patrik Schick’s brace then turned things around in the second half before Jonathan Burkardt’s penalty levelled the game again. It means Leverkusen have now gone 34 away games without defeat in the Bundesliga, which no team has ever done before.
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The Werkself bring down the curtain on their 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign with a game away at Mainz on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 34 meeting at the MEWA Arena.
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Xabi Alonso is leaving Leverkusen at the end of the season. In his final interview as Werkself coach, he talks about his two-and-a-half years at the helm, the greatest moments of his historic tenure and his appreciation of the connection with the fans and players throughout their remarkable progress together.
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