FC Köln vs. Eintracht Frankfurt: Both teams unbeaten in 2023
Two sides who are yet to lose a game in the current calendar year will face off when FC Köln face Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Oliver Glasner.
Photo: GEPA Pictures/Roger Petzsche
FC Köln
After beginning 2023 with a memorable 7-1 victory over Werder Bremen, Köln played out three consecutive draws.
While they would have been pleased with a 1-1 scoreline in their away meeting with Bayern Munich, they would have been underwhelmed with a goalless draw against Schalke in the game that followed.
Another goalless encounter took place last weekend, as Köln held title hopefuls RB Leipzig to a well-earned point, which leaves Steffen Baumgart's side in 11th place. With Die Geißböcke seven points clear of the bottom three and 12 points adrift of the top six, a midtable position appears to be on the horizon.
Köln head into Sunday's fixture off the back of one defeat in six Bundesliga home games, and after losing only one of their last home meeting with Frankfurt in the topflight, the hosts will be confident that at the very least, they will be able to avoid defeat.
Team News
The hosts are unable to call upon Davie Selke, Kristian Pedersen, Mark Uth, Luca Kilian, Florian Dietz and Sebastian Andersson due to injury issues. Meanwhile, illness is expected to prevent Dejan Ljubicic from featuring.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Frankfurt have won three and drawn two of their five competitive matches in 2023. Two of those victories have taken place in the last seven days and the Oliver Glasner's side will be targeting a third straight win on Sunday.
Last weekend, Frankfurt cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win against relegation-threatened Hertha BSC thanks to a Randal Kolo Muani brace and a late strike from Aurélio Buta.
They were among the goals again in midweek, as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal with a 4-2 victory over second-tier outfit Darmstadt. Kolo Muani opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Darmstadt turn the game on its head following a Mathias Honsak brace. Rafael Santos Borré restored parity before half time, and Frankfurt's Bundesliga quality shone through in the second period, with Daichi Kamada giving Die Adler the lead before Kolo Muani added his second and Frankfurt's fourth in the 90th minute.
After playing two home games in the last week, Frankfurt will head on their travels for Sunday's contest. The visitors have only lost one of their nine away league games this season, although their last three Bundesliga away trips have finished all square.
Team News
The visitors are without the services of Eric Ebimbe due to an ankle injury, while 18-year-old midfielder Marcel Wenig is a doubt.
