Eintracht Frankfurt and Dortmund look to shake European hangovers

Manuel Veth –

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Dortmund – Sunday, September 22, 17:00BST/18:00CEST – Commerzbank Arena, Munich, Germany

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund will take place at the Commerzbank Arena. (Photo by Alexander Scheuber/Bongarts/Getty Images)

In Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund, two teams that were in mid-week action will clash at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt on Sunday night. On balance it was mixed results for the two Bundesliga clubs in Europe.

Eintracht Frankfurt hosted London-based Arsenal on Thursday. On balance it was an even affair, but a red card to Dominik Kohr tipped the balance to Arsenal and resulted in a 3-0 defeat. It was the first time in 16 home games in Europe that Frankfurt walked off the pitch defeated.

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“I think it would be easy to say that the problem was in defence,” Frankfurt head coach Adi Hütter said after the game. “For Frankfurt, the biggest problem was the lack of balance in midfield. Djibril Sow and Kohr could not compensate for Sebastian Rode’s defensive abilities. “We were too euphoric going forward,” Hütter added.

Rode, however, will not be available for the match on Sunday. Like Mijat Gaćinović, Rode will be unavailable. “We will not field the same starting XI then on Thursday Hütter said. It will be interesting to see how Frankfurt will try to balance their midfield against a Borussia Dortmund side that look leapfrog Bayern into second place.

Like Frankfurt, however, some rotation can be expected after the game against Barcelona. That 0-0 draw highlighted all the best of a Borussia Dortmund side but also showed that after 18 months under Lucien Favre the club still lacks effectiveness in the final third.

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Nico Schulz, Mateu Moray will not be available on Sunday. The club is, however, optimistic that Lukasz Piszczek, who left with a limb after the Barcelona game, can play on Sunday. “He can play,” head coach Favre said this week.

Almost a full squad than for Favre. With many players available the most important task for the Black and Yellows will be trying to find the balance between the positive result from the Barcelona match and what is more of a day-to-day task against Frankfurt.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Dortmund – Players to look out for:

André Silva #33 – Eintracht Frankfurt

André Silva will be in the spotlight against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. Signed in a loan-trade deal that sent Ante Rebić the other way Silva is supposed to help fill the void left by the likes of Sebastien Haller and Luka Jović. Thus far he has still been kept off the scoresheet, a fact he wants to change on Sunday.

André Silva joined Eintracht Frankfurt from AC Milan this summer. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Mats Hummels #15 – Borussia Dortmund

Mats Hummels was world-class on Tuesday against Barcelona. The central defender was signed back from Bayern Munich with the hope that he can add some much-needed steel to a squad that lacked consistency at times last season. Navigating the transition between Champions League against Barca and the day-to-day business in the Bundesliga can be difficult for a young team, and Hummels’ presence in the dressing room can make a difference in this department.

Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund in action during the pre-season friendly match between FC Schweinberg and Borussia Dortmund on July 12, 2019 in Schweinberg near Hardheim, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Dortmund – Match Stats

• Paco Alcacer has scored ten goals in eight games in all competitions for club and country this season.
• Sancho’s 18 assists since the start of last season are a Europe-wide best.
• Frankfurt have won both of their home games this season, Die Adler’ssix dropped points all coming on the road.

Futbolgrad Network Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Dortmund – 1-2

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Dortmund – Lineups

Eintracht Frankfurt:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Trapp – Abraham, Hasebe, Hinteregger – da Costa, Kohr, Fernandes, Kostic – Kamada – Silva, Paciência

Head Coach: Adi Hütter

Borussia Dortmund:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Bürki – Hakimi, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro – Witsel, Delaney – Sancho, Reus, Hazard – Alcacer

Head Coach: Lucien Favre

Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and among others contributes to Forbes.com and Pro Soccer USA. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently splits his time between Victoria, BC and Munich, Germany.  Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.