Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern – Bundesliga – Preview

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern – Saturday, December 9, 14:30GMT/15:30CET – Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, Germany.  

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

It was a statement game on Tuesday night against Paris Saint-Germain. After losing the first leg 3-0 to Paris, Bayern wanted to show Europe that they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Bavarians did precisely that beating Paris 3-1 at home at the Allianz Arena. Paris was maybe even lucky that a rampant Bayern did not top the result from the first leg, which would have dethroned the Qatari owned club from first place in the group.

Following the game, several Bayern players voiced their disappointment that the scoreline was not more impressive, but even in second place, Bayern will be one of the favourites for the Champions League this season. Now after an impressive performance in the UEFA Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain Bayern München look to continue their run of good form in the Bundesliga.

Travelling to Frankfurt, they will face an Eintracht side that has always been problematic for the club from the Bavarian capital. Coached by Niko Kovac Eintracht Frankfurt have a winning record against Bayern. Last season Eintracht managed to take a point off Bayern despite the fact that the Eagles were a man down towards the end of the match.

Niko Kovac believes that his side can hurt Bayern once again. “This game will have to hurt. Bayern never enjoyed playing here, and we want to continue this tradition. What do we have to lose? Our fans will push us to give the maximum.” Kovac, however, admits that everyone needs to be “in top form” to get a positive result against Germany’s biggest club. The Croatian coach has shown at Eintracht that he is not only tactically astute but also a great motivator.

It is perhaps for that reason that Bayern have Kovac on the radar as one of eight candidates that could potentially replace Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes at the end of the season. Another great result against the team from the Bavarian capital would probably not hurt Kovac’s stock.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern – Players to look out for:

Kevin-Prince Boateng #17 – Eintracht Frankfurt

Returning to the Bundesliga this summer Kevin-Prince Boateng has established himself as the leader of a racket Eintracht side. Always a controversial figure in Germany Boateng seems to earn the respect that he always received abroad finally. For Frankfurt Boateng has been a key player this year giving Kovac’s side the sort of leadership and fighting edge required to not only survive in the Bundesliga but also be successful.

Kevin-Prince Boateng will be Eintracht Frankfurt’s key player. (Photo by Matthias Kern/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Arturo Vidal #23 – Bayern München

Eintracht Frankfurt are one of the toughest teams in German football. Playing an aggressive brand of football Eintracht like to break down their opponents with physical force. To counter that Heynckes will heavily rely on his very own warrior Arturo Vidal. The Chilean midfielder is both a wrecking ball in midfield and an offensive force and therefore the perfect player to counter Eintracht’s style of play.

Arturo Vidal will be Bayern’s key player. (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern – Match Stats

• It is the match of the two best defensive teams. Bayern have conceded eleven goals and Frankfurt 14.
• Three of the five players that committed the most fouls in the league play for Eintracht Frankfurt: Sebastian Haller (36), Boateng (33) and Ante Rebić (31).
• Bayern München have committed the least fouls this season (140).
• Eintracht’s record against Bayern at home is W18 D16 L12

Futbolgrad Network Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern 1-1

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern – Lineups

Eintracht Frankfurt:

Formation: 3-4-1-2

Hradecky – Salcedo, Abraham, Falette – Wolf, Boateng, Hasebe, Willems – Gacinovic – Haller, Rebic

Head Coach: Niko Kovac

Bayern München:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Ulreich – Rafinha, Boateng, Hummels, Alaba – Javi Martínez, Vidal – Müller, James, Ribery, Lewandowski

Head Coach: Jupp Heynches

Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and social media editor at Bundesliga.com. 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 will be available in print soon. Originally from Munich, Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently is located in Victoria BC, Canada.  Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.