Eintracht Frankfurt – Bayer Leverkusen : Preview & Prediction
After suffering his first Bundesliga defeat to a bottom-placed team last weekend with a shock 3-0 loss to Bochum, Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner followed up with a disappointing, but somewhat expected, 3-2 loss to Spurs in midweek in the UEFA Champions League. Despite back-to-back setbacks, this remains the Eagles’ best joint-best start to a Bundesliga season in terms of points in the last six years (G4, E2, P3).
Tellingly, Frankfurt’s last Bundesliga defeat coincided with the suspension of influential striker Randal Kolo Muani, and its impact simply cannot be underestimated considering Frankfurt are unbeaten in eight of the 11 games in which he has started this campaign (G5, E3), while losing three of the four in which he was not part of the starting XI. He will return for this match and will be hoping to help Frankfurt build on their current four-game home winning streak against their opponents this time around.
That losing streak at this venue is Bayer Leverkusen’s longest active losing streak against any Bundesliga opponent playing away and they will be looking to end that run, something that would certainly be a positive as they are experiencing their worst start to a Bundesliga season in the three points from win era – they have just eight points so far. While Leverkusen were wasteful in their 3-0 midweek defeat to Porto, Xabi Alonso has etched his name into folklore by recording the biggest league debut win of any manager in the club’s history after leading his new side to a 4-0 victory over Schalke last time out.
Next on Alonso’s agenda is a first away win, and to do so he must halt the rot of six consecutive goals conceded away from home during the last 180 minutes of play on opposition soil since Leverkusen’s late equaliser against Hertha in September. Whatever happens here, the first goal could be crucial, as the team that scores first has won (by two goals or more) in five of Leverkusen’s last six official matches.
Players to watch: There is simply no better place for entertainment than Deutsche Bank Park this weekend, as Frankfurt’s Kolo Muani leads the Bundesliga in assists (five) — no player has had more after his first eight Bundesliga appearances since 2006. For Leverkusen, Moussa Diaby assisted on two of the four goals in the recent win over Schalke, and he also assisted on both goals in Leverkusen’s latest win over Frankfurt.
Weekend highlight: Prior to this matchday, Frankfurt and Leverkusen have conceded four goals – each – during the first 15 minutes in this Bundesliga campaign.
Eintracht Frankfurt – Bayer Leverkusen : Betting Tips
Eintracht Frankfurt – Win Odds: 2.25
