Eintracht Frankfurt will hope they can cling onto their place in the Bundesliga‘s final Champions League qualification spot when they host Stuttgart at Deutsche Bank Park on Saturday.
The Eagles are fourth with 45 points and emerged as 3-1 victors against VfL Bochum last Sunday, while Stuttgart lost 4-3 against Bayer Leverkusen on the same day and are in 10th place with 37 points after 26 matchweeks.
Match preview
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Eintracht Frankfurt created numerous opportunities in the final third against Bochum – five big chances and 14 shots from inside the box – but they will be disappointed that they once again failed to keep a clean sheet.
Dino Toppmoller‘s side have not kept their opponents at bay in 11 matches, and their record of 40 goals conceded in the league is the joint worst amongst teams in the top nine.
The Eagles are only three points ahead of fifth-placed RB Leipzig and sixth-placed Freiburg, though they do have the same number of points as third-placed Mainz 05.
Toppmoller’s team have triumphed in three of their past four games – losing the other – but it should be noted that they have lost three and won just one of their last four in the Bundesliga.
Eintracht Frankfurt have also been beaten in their two most recent home matches in the top flight, though they did achieve victory in seven of their previous 11 at Deutsche Bank Park while losing just once.
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Stuttgart come into the match having thrown away 2-0 and 3-1 leads against Bayer Leverkusen, and they will be disappointed to have conceded four times despite facing just 1.74 xG.
Die Roten have struggled to keep their opponents at bay recently, with the club failing to keep a clean sheet in six outings while conceding 13 goals.
Boss Sebastian Hoeness will hope to avoid a repeat of his side’s previous encounter with the Eagles on November 10 when they lost 3-2, though the scoreline was perhaps flattering to his team given they trailed 3-0 by the time they scored their first in the 86th minute.
Stuttgart are winless in their last five fixtures and have been beaten three times in that period, conceding 12 while scoring eight goals.
It should be noted that the visitors boast a strong record on the road having only been defeated in one of their nine most recent away games, winning on five occasions.
Team News
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Eintracht Frankfurt will have to contend with a number of injury absences, including to goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, and that makes Kaua Santos the most likely candidate to appear between the posts.
Midfielders Ellyes Skhiri, Hugo Larsson and Oscar Hojlund have also been ruled out, so perhaps Mario Gotze could be moved into a deeper position alongside Mahmoud Dahoud.
Considering forwards Elye Wahi, Eric Ebimbe and Igor Matanovic will also miss out, fans might see a front line consisting of Ansgar Knauff, Can Uzun and Jean-Matteo Bahoya.
As for Stuttgart, defender Leonidas Stergiou is still suspended following his red card against Holstien Kiel on March 8, and fellow defender Dan-Axel Zagadou is not set to return to the pitch until May.
Centre-backs Ameen Al-Dakhil and Ramon Hendriks may be flanked by full-backs Finn Jeltsch and Maximilian Mittelstadt.
Attacker Justin Diehl is not expected to make his comeback from a muscle injury until the middle of April, and his absence may lead to Hoeness starting Ermedin Demirovic and Nick Woltemade in a front two.
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Tuta, Collins; Dahoud, Gotze; Knauff, Uzun, Bahoya; Ekitike
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Jeltsch, Al-Dakhil, Hendriks, Mittelstadt; Leweling, Karazor, Stiller, Millot; Woltemade, Demirovic
We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Stuttgart
The Eagles are unlikely to keep a clean sheet given their defensive frailty of late, and their poor showings in the league arguably makes them second favourites.
Despite the fact Stuttgart have failed to impress in the last weeks, their displays on the road have been strong and they could leave Deutsche Bank Park with a victory.
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