Eintracht Frankfurt wants to build on the recent strong performances and win their first home win in the Champions League against Tottenham. However, Mario Götze will be missing for the Hessians.
Two days after the convincing win against Union Berlin and one day before the highlight in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur, the mood at Eintracht Frankfurt is great. At the press conference on Monday, coach Oliver Glasner anticipated one or two journalists’ questions with a grin, and captain Sebastian Rode was looking forward to it: “A great opponent, 9 p.m., completely floodlit, I’m really happy,” said Rode with regard to that Duel with the Spurs on Tuesday.
The Hessians have a good laugh, because they found their best form in time for the third Champions League game. The performance in the 2-0 home win against Union on Saturday was convincing both in terms of play and fighting spirit. “That way we can beat any opponent,” said Ansgar Knauff afterwards. An assessment that Glasner also agreed: “I know my players well, I’ve seen how they have performed in recent weeks. That makes me feel positive. They show again and again that they can surpass themselves.”
Götze drops out
The only drop of bitterness: Mario Götze will not be able to help with the project of the first Champions League home win. The playmaker twisted his ankle slightly against Union, “Mario will be out, he still has too much pain in his ankle,” said Glasner. “It’s a shame we lack Mario’s experience and quality, but we have enough good players to compensate.” On the other hand, Kristijan Jakic, who had to pass against Union, can play again.
In order to survive against Tottenham, Eintracht will have to reach their performance limit on Tuesday – or even exceed it. The Spurs come with a defeat from the derby against Arsenal, but that doesn’t change much in the successful start of the season. The team, which is peppered with stars like Harry Kane or Heung-min Son, won five of the first eight games and is in a strong third place in the table.
In the defeat in Lisbon, however, the supposed group favorites showed that they are also vulnerable in the Champions League. Eintracht are level on points with Spurs after winning in Marseille. “It’s interesting that we now have Tottenham twice in a week,” said Rode, looking ahead to next week’s game in London. “It makes it feel like a knockout game. And we had a few of those last season.”
“We play to win”
“We’re playing to win,” Glasner said accordingly. “We’ve prepared well, we’ve shown the players slightly longer video sequences of how Tottenham are acting and what we want to do. We’re really looking forward to the third Champions League game.” Glasner also indicated a change of system: “We looked at different formations against Tottenham. They play a clear 3-4-3. I prefer to play against this system 4-3-3, but there are several options.”
And ideally, one of these options will lead to another unforgettable Frankfurt European Cup night. “Everyone knows what tomorrow at 9 p.m. is,” says Rode. “Many players know from last year that the atmosphere will be really great. Everyone has anticipation and goosebumps. When you run onto the field, you just have to enjoy it.”
