Eintracht Frankfurt is about to enter the Europa League final. To the 2-1 first-leg win in the semifinals at West Ham United enough for the Hessians on Thursday (9 p.m.) in the second leg in the city forest also a draw for progress.
the initial situation
It’s actually pretty good. Because who would have thought that Eintracht would return from London with a win? The completely open game in the first leg could of course have ended differently, but Frankfurt are now going into the game with the certainty that West Ham is under pressure – and not the eleven of coach Oliver Glasner.
The Hessians are familiar with this starting position from the round of 16. At that time, Frankfurt also won the first leg – at Betis Sevilla – 2-1 and traveled back to Hesse with a one-goal advantage. The outcome is known: the guests scored late to make it 0-1, Martin Hinteregger had to save Eintracht in extra time. That shouldn’t happen again against West Ham.
The Frankfurt Annex will also be a factor here. Leaving aside the London fans who traveled with them, late Thursday evening will also be about getting the audience in the stands and the team on the pitch right from the start a symbiosis form. If that happens, the entry into the final is – no, it’s better not to say it…
The staff
From a Hessian point of view, things are also looking better with the staff than before the first leg. Evan N’Dicka and Kristijan Jakic are returning after serving suspensions and have picked up match practice after the Bundesliga defeat at Leverkusen. Martin Hinteregger, who had previously been plagued by a cold, is also there. However, there is still a big question mark over Jesper Lindström. The Dane missed the final training session on Wednesday. “It gives a photo finish,” Glasner already announced.
Eintracht could play like this:
Meanwhile, opponents West Ham United arrived without any personnel problems. Ben Johnson does have a few hamstring problems, coach David Moyes said at Wednesday’s press conference. However, its use is probably not in jeopardy. “Everyone is fit right now,” said Moyes.
Here’s how West Ham could play: Areola – Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell – Soucek, Rice, Fornals – Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma
That’s what the coaches say
Oliver Glasner: “It was a very difficult game in London. We did a lot of things right there. We’re definitely trying to win and we don’t want to manage, we want to play forward. That has to be our approach. We need to do better than we did before week. It will be important that we function as a team.”
David Moyes: “We watched football for two years without fans in the stadium. Football is for the fans and we’re looking forward to a great atmosphere in Frankfurt. That’s exactly what we and the players want. Even if we’re the away team, we’re looking forward to it to the show that will show Eintracht in the stadium.”
You have to watch out for these players
West Ham United’s most dangerous player is undoubtedly Jarrod Bowen. The 25-year-old, who has to come down the right wing and has to be stopped there by N’Dicka and Filip Kostic, has been directly involved in 27 goals in 47 games this season and has indicated his potential several times in the first leg as well. He didn’t score a goal, but Eintracht had to find an answer to Bowen’s power. Also not to be neglected: center forward Michail Antonio. “They both bring a lot of body mass and are also very good footballers,” warned Eintracht coach Glasner.
In Eintracht, the main thing against the English will be to find the right balance between a controlled attack and the necessary compactness on the defensive. The one controlling that is Djibril Sow. The Swiss is in demand as a pacesetter in midfield and will have to steer the Eintracht game. Sow has the gift of calming down or speeding up the game at the right moment. If he succeeds, Eintracht would be very helpful.
The statistics of the game
When it comes to Eintracht’s European Cup history, the Londoners can actually save themselves the trip to Frankfurt. Because: The Hessians have never been eliminated from a European competition after an away win in the first leg. This starting position has already existed nine times, and Eintracht reached the next round nine times. However, there is one small catch: in the round of 16 against Betis Sevilla, coach Glasner’s team – see above – was only allowed to celebrate in extra time after winning the first leg in Andalusia in the second leg.
Source: HR