Royale Union SG – Eintracht Frankfurt : Preview & Prediction
Royale Union SG qualified for this first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) playoffs against Eintracht Frankfurt thanks to a memorable 2-1 home win over Liverpool in December, securing third place in Group E. That result maintained their unbeaten home record in European competition this season (G3, E1), made all the more impressive by the fact that they have played their home matches at Lotto Park, their home stadium in the UEFA Europa League. That result maintained their unbeaten home record in European competition this season (G3, E1), made all the more impressive by the fact that they have played their home games at Lotto Park, the stadium of city rivals Anderlecht.
That will again be the stadium for this clash which sees Les Unionistes face a German opponent once again after playing six matches against Bundesliga teams last season (G2, E2, P2). Union SG will be looking to carry over their domestic form into this fixture as they sit at the top of the Belgian Pro League, having an undefeated record since mid-September (G15, E4).
Eintracht Frankfurt are currently sixth in the Bundesliga but are struggling at the moment, with only one win in their last four matches (E2, P1). They qualified from their UECL group with nine points and are in second place, despite losing their last two matches to group leaders PAOK and third-placed Aberdeen.
Away performance will be a concern for Dino Toppmöller’s side heading into this clash in Brussels as they have won just two of their last seven away games in that capacity in European competition (E1). Visits to Belgium have been particularly unproductive, with just one win in four meetings there in their history. In fact, their win percentage of 25% against Belgian clubs either home or away is Frankfurt’s worst against sides from any European country.
Players to watch: Mohamed Amoura contributed a goal and an assist for Royale Union SG in their win over Liverpool two months ago, and the Algerian has not been on the losing side in games where he scored during this and last season (G24, E2). Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush opened the scoring for Frankfurt on Saturday and found the back of the net four times during the UECL group stage. In all competitions this season, nine of his 13 goals have been registered in the first half of their respective fixture.
Weekend stat: Royale Union have kept clean sheets in just two of their last nine home matches in European competition (G5, E2, P2).
Royale Union SG – Eintracht Frankfurt : Betting Tips
Draw Odds: 3.25
