From Eintracht Frankfurt’s point of view, the bitter 2-0 away defeat at relegation candidate 1. FC Köln made it particularly clear what is currently particularly lacking. The Hessians are too lacking in ideas and courage in their attacking game and also have another major shortcoming.
This defeat was not undeserved: Even in the first half, when Eintracht Frankfurt was still with eleven men on the lawn of the RheinEnergieStadion against 1. FC Cologne, the Hessians’ attacking game was too uninspired and error-prone. At the latest after the dismissals of Niels Nkounkou (66th) and Tuta (83rd), from the SGE’s point of view, the fair was said anyway.
The insecurities in the passing game caused Eintracht head coach Dino Toppmöller to be particularly frustrated this Saturday evening: “These constant easy ball losses annoy me, it’s just too much. That was sometimes catastrophic against Mainz. If you play like that, you can never put pressure on build up.”
The latest figures provide impressive evidence of the Frankfurt dilemma. Although Eintracht are still in a respectable sixth place in the table after 20 Bundesliga matchdays, they are playing more like a relegation candidate in several respects.
No team shoots on goal less often than Eintracht Frankfurt
As the “kicker” calculated, the Eagles only play 20.3 percent of their passes into the opposing attacking third. The vast majority of passes played take place in midfield or their own defensive zone, which is evidence of Frankfurt’s often uninspired and harmless performances. In comparison, no other team in the Bundesliga plays fewer balls into the opposing attacking third.
Another statistic gives those responsible for the SGE justifiable cause for concern: of all 18 Bundesliga clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt shoots the least on goal.
208 shots on goal have been officially counted so far after 20 match days. That’s seven fewer than Werder Bremen (215), the second-most harmless team in this area, and even 34 fewer than 1. FC Köln (242), which has the lowest-scoring attack line in the Bundesliga.
If the Frankfurters want to stop the impending turnaround, things have to get better again, especially in the offensive area.