Hertha BSC vs Eintracht Frankfurt preview
Two sides out of form will face off at the Olympiastadion on Saturday afternoon.
Perhaps Hertha BSC are more in need of the points as they battle to remain in the top flight, although Eintracht Frankfurt will not be in a charitable mood as they look for an upturn in fortunes.
Perhaps Hertha BSC are more in need of the points as they battle to remain in the top flight, although Eintracht Frankfurt will not be in a charitable mood as they look for an upturn in fortunes.
Hertha BSC
Problems are stacking up for Hertha, with Saturday’s hosts winless in their last eight games in all competitions. Their last three matches have all ended in defeat, but their last two performances will be of particular concern.
After losing 6-1 to RB Leipzig, Hertha travelled to the Europa-Park Stadion to face Freiburg last weekend. It proved to be another fruitless afternoon as Hertha fell to a 3-0 defeat.
If Hertha are to move out of the relegation playoff spot then they need to improve at both ends of the pitch. Only rock bottom Greuther Fürth have conceded more goals this season, while Hertha have netted just 25 goals in their 24 league games.
With Hertha in freefall, they will be looking for leadership and inspiration from key players. Stevan Jovetić and Marco Richter have scored 11 Bundesliga goals between them this season, but they have both struggled in 2022. Jovetić has scored just one goal in his five appearances this calendar year, while Richter has not netted since Hertha’s most recent victory - a 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on December 18.
Tayfun Korkut has a number of absentees to contend with. Alexander Schwolow, Linus Gechter, Márton Dárdai and Kelian Nsona are all missing for the hosts. Although the return of Marc-Oliver Kempf from suspension will be a boost.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Like their hosts, Frankfurt also enter the weekend off the back of a disappointing run of three consecutive losses. Those defeats may have ended their hopes of European qualification, with Oliver Glasner’s side now eight points adrift of the top six.
Despite competing well against Bayern Munich last weekend, Frankfurt will be concerned that they have failed to score in 270 minutes of football. With glaring issues in the final third, Glasner will hope a struggling Hertha defence presents his team with the opportunity to rediscover their goalscoring touch.
If Frankfurt cannot avert their current slide, then they could finish outside the top half of the table for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
On the injury front, Die Adler are without Sebastian Rode, Diant Ramaj and Ragnar Ache. Meanwhile, Christopher Lenz will serve a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.