Match Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt; BVB aim to turn the tide
Another matchday in the Bundesliga is upon us as Borussia Dortmund look to steady the ship. The Black and Yellows are up against Eintracht Frankfurt in a battle of the Champions League spots this weekend.
The February Buzz has come to an end and Borussia Dortmund have been finding it hard to pick up a victory in the past weeks. In the mid-week Europa League clash, the Black and Yellows were humbled by the RB Salzburg and will now have to chase the tie in Austria. Peter Stöger’s men will have to recover as the battle for the Champions League spots is heating up.
Borussia Dortmund are up against 4th place, Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend. The Eagles are level on points with their foes but the Black and Yellows command a superior goal difference. Both the sides will be looking to give their best as the three points will be crucial in deciding their European future next season. Here is all you need to know about this weekend’s fixture.
Match Information
Location: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
Date: March 11th, 2018
Time: 5:00pm(GMT)/6:00pm(local time)
Form Guide
Borussia Dortmund
Last 5 matches: WDDDL
Last match: Borussia Dortmund 1 RB Salzburg 2
Analysis: Dortmund were up against the second Red Bull side two days ago in a crucial Europa League game. But they had a terrible as they slumped to a very effective Salzburg side. All the goals came in the second half of the fixture, setting up an interesting game in Austria for the away leg. Salzburg’s Valon Berisha scored the opening goal, with a penalty given away by Toprak. In less than 10 mins, the Kosovo International completed his brace through a well-placed shot past Roman Bürki. In the 62nd minute, Andre Schürrle pulled one back for the Black and Yellows. But the team lacked the creativity to draw the match level.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Last 5 matches: WWWLW
Last match: Eintracht Frankfurt 1 Hannover 96 0
Analysis: Last weekend, Eintracht Frankfurt were up against Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga. It only required a single goal from Frankfurt to seal the three points during the last matchday. Eintracht heavily dominated the fixture as they belted the Hannover goal with shots after shots after shots. But Danny Da Costa’s 39th-minute strike was enough for them to pick full points propelling them close to a Champions League spot next season.
Opposition star man – David Abraham
Eintracht Frankfurt has the second-best defense in the Bundesliga this season, behind Bayern Munich. All thanks to team captain, David Abraham who has been their key player as they look for a Champions League next season. The Argentine defender has ensured that the back-line remains disciplined and aware of clearing danger as quickly as possible. At 6’2”, Abraham commands a strong profile in the Eintracht defense and is strong on aerial duties. Another key feature of his play is his concentration level. Borussia Dortmund will have to focus on how to get past him if they are to pick up the three points this weekend.
Last Match – Borussia Dortmund 2 Eintracht Frankfurt 2
This was the fixture that saw the beginning of the downfall of Peter Bosz’s time at Dortmund. The Black and Yellows came into the match after a defeat to RB Leipzig, which was termed as a hiccup to a top team. But little did people know that Bosz would have been sacked before December.
Dortmund started brilliantly in this fixture and Nuri Sahin found the opening goal in the 19th minute. The Black and Yellows continued their attacks but had to wait until the second half as Maximilliam Philip doubled the lead in the 57th minute. It looked like Dortmund could finish this game with a victory. But Eintracht was not ready to give up yet. The Frankfurt side scored 2 goals in the space of 5 minutes through Haller and Wolf to draw level as we entered the last 20 minutes of the fixture. There wasn’t much play after the comeback and the scoreline read 2-2 at the full-time whistle.
Possible lineups
Borussia Dortmund: Bürki, Piszczek, Sokratis, Toprak, Schmelzer, Dahoud, Weigl, Götze, Reus, Pulisic, Batshuayi
Eintracht Frankfurt: Hradecky, Abraham, Hasebe, Falette, Da Costa, Gacinovic, Wolf, Boateng, Chandler, Haller, Rebic