Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Union Berlin preview: Eisernen aim to go level on points with Adler

Dino Toppmöller’s Eintracht Frankfurt side (2-0-1, 5th) walk into this match with just three days of rest – however, they made their UEFA Champions League opening match count, thrashing Turkish champions Galatasaray SK by a 5-1 result on Thursday evening at Deutsche Bank Park.

Toppmöller praised the performance of his side, stating, “Yesterday [against Galatasaray] was a match that we needed for our development. The players exceeded their own expectations, we achieved a lot. It was the first step into the Champions League and, for many of them, the first game there.”

It should be mentioned that twelve of Frankfurt’s players made their career debuts in the UEFA Champions League (Bahoya, Brown, Burkardt, Chaïbi, Collins, Dōan, Koch, Larsson, Shkiri, Theate, Uzun, Zetterer).

As for the Bundesliga campaign, the club defeated SV Werder Bremen by a 4-1 result in the opening week of the season, following it with a 3-1 victory in Sinsheim against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Despite their opposition, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, going down to nine men in the third matchweek, they lost by a 1-3 result in Kasper Hjulmand’s competitive debut as coach of Die Werkself.

Regarding the squad selection for the match, Toppmöller made it known in the press conference on Friday afternoon that the starting eleven might rotate – including the goalkeeping selection, as Kauã Santos might get a chance to impress.

“We will see who will be in goal on Sunday. Robin Koch also played well yesterday – he gritted his teeth. There will definitely be some personnel changes on Sunday,” the 44-year-old coach said. “How many there will be in the end, we will have to wait and see after training and discussions tomorrow. It will be all about staying fresh against a hard-working opponent.”

Regarding the situation of Mario Götze, who has been dealing with muscle issues, Toppmöller said: “I am in good contact with Mario Götze, he is dealing with the situation completely openly and he is putting himself at the service of the team. If he is not ready tomorrow, he will communicate that to me.”