Leverkusen vs. Frankfurt preview: A match with huge European implications
Frankfurt travel to red-hot Leverkusen on Saturday, in hopes of turning around their league fortunes to secure a spot in Europe for next season.
| Photo: Bayer 04 Leverkusen |
Leverkusen
Following their horrific start to the campaign, Xabi Alonso has miraculously steered Leverkusen back into the European conversation. It’s no coincidence that the club have been rolling since Florian Wirtz’s return, having won seven of their last eight games in all competitions.
Even with rumors swirling over his imminent departure, Jeremie Frimpong has been vital down the right wing for Bayer, linking up with Moussa Diaby for goals on a consistent basis. Robert Andrich has also dropped further back since Alonso took over, which has really shored up the defense.
The trainer shared, “I'm not looking back at the last few months, just forward. I'm satisfied with the development of the team. We've become more stable and have internalized the essentials of our game."
Team News
Andrey Lunev and Patrik Schick are unavailable, while Nadiem Amiri and Adam Hlozek are questionable.
Frankfurt
Eintracht haven’t won a game in their last seven league matches and are about to fall out of the European places. Oliver Glasner is yet to agree to a contract extension and the heads of many star players with expiring contracts seem to be elsewhere.
But, Frankfurt finally picked up a win in the DFB-Pokal midweek which could provide the needed spark they’ve been desperately craving. However, Die Adler have lost their last eight away fixtures against the red company club.
In his Thursday press conference, Glasner said, “We gave the lads the day off today to let them recover physically and mentally from an intense game against Union. We’re obviously delighted and relieved after reaching the semi-finals. - They were also serving Wiener schnitzel at the canteen today, so I’m in really good spirits.”
Team News
Jesper Lindstrøm and Hrvoje Smolcic won’t suit up, while Christopher Lenz and Almamy Toure are questionable with fitness issues.