Eintracht Frankfurt-Bochum is a match in the 26th day of the Bundesliga and is played on Friday at 20:30: TV, formations, predictions.
Wracked by Napoli in the round of 16 of the Champions League – Spalletti’s Azzurri conceded five goals in the first leg and the return leg – Eintracht Frankfurt have been winless in the Bundesliga for several weeks now. In the last month and a half Oliver Glasner’s team have experienced a worrying setback, which now threatens to jeopardise their fourth place goal.
The Europa League holders’ last success dates back to last February, before the double-header with the partenopei. Since then the Adlers have played three times away, losing to two direct rivals Leipzig and Union Berlin and drawing at home to Wolfsburg. In their only home match, however, Eintracht had to settle for a point against a team fighting not to be relegated like Stuttgart. In the standings, things are starting to look bad: fourth place Freiburg are six points behind, but Kolo Muani and his team-mates also need to be on their toes when it comes to sixth place, as both Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen are on the upswing behind them. Glasner first needs to find the goals again: he will ask for an effort from his scorer Kolo Muani – 11 goals in this Bundesliga – to ‘wake up’ an attack that has barely scored a goal in the last three games between league and cup. Fresh from his commitments with Didier Deschamps’ France side, the prolific transalpine striker will be supported by Gotze and Kamada, while in defence Jakic will take the place of the disqualified Tuta.
Bochum are out of danger for now
In the first post-season fixture Eintracht Frankfurt host Bochum, a team that is fighting tooth and nail to stay out of the relegation zone
Letsch
After a long series of defeats that had plunged the Ruhr club to last place in the table, Thomas Letsch’s men had a surge of pride, winning two consecutive matches against top-ranked Cologne and Leipzig and keeping their goal unbeaten on both occasions. Six points that were pure oxygen for a team that only a month ago seemed to be in freefall. Bochum now have a three-point lead over third-last place but cannot afford to lower their engine revs just yet. In defence there will be no disqualified Soares: in his place there will be Heintz.
The prediction
The most recent precedents suggest Frankfurt, who have always won in their last four home matches against Bochum. However, we imagine a more balanced match than expected, with both teams scoring.
Eintracht Frankfurt-Bochum’s likely line-up
- EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Jakic, Hasebe, N’Dicka; Buta, Rode, Sow, Max; Kamada, Götze; Kolo Muani.
- BOCHUM (4-3-3): Riemann; Stafylidis, Ordets, Masovic, Heintz; Stöger, Losilla, Osterhage; Asano, Hofmann, Antwi-Adjei.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
