Both teams will be aiming to end lengthy winless streaks in the Bundesliga when Eintracht Frankfurt host Augsburg on Saturday.
Frankfurt have failed to win any of their last eight league games, falling to ninth in the table in the process, while Augsburg are not completely clear of relegation danger after drawing three and losing three of their last six eight matches.
Match preview
© Reuters
Similarly to last season when successfully chasing a Europa League triumph at the expense of their league form, Frankfurt appear to have placed all of their eggs into the DFB-Pokal's basket since being knocked out of the Champions League knockout stages by Napoli last month.
Oliver Glasner is chasing his second trophy in two seasons at the club after beating Rangers to lift the Europa League last May, with a trip to relegation-threatened Stuttgart awaiting his side in the semi-final of Germany's domestic cup next Wednesday.
However, the 48-year-old may have some cause for concern regarding his side's recent drop off in the Bundesliga, with their 4-0 defeat away to league leaders Borussia Dortmund last weekend making it just one point from their last six games on the road.
Die Adler remain tough to beat at Deutsche Bank Park, though, with only Dortmund managing to get the better of them in any of their last 10 games there in the Bundesliga, suggesting that Frankfurt will be no pushovers in their final three games on home soil.
© Reuters
That said, Stuttgart, VfL Bochum and Borussia Monchengladbach have all escaped Frankfurt with a 1-1 draw in recent weeks, so Augsburg will be confident of achieving a positive result as they aim to move clearer of the relegation zone.
Leading relegation rivals Stuttgart from the eighth minute after Dion Drena Beljo's early strike at the WWK Arena last weekend, Enrico Maasen's side were on the brink of moving seven points clear of their opponents and the relegation zone with only five games of the season remaining until Wataru Endo snatched a point for the visitors 12 minutes from time.
Instead, Augsburg remain only five points clear of Stuttgart in the relegation playoff spot and six points ahead of Schalke 04 in the first automatic relegation position, with a potential six-pointer against Bochum next month sandwiched by home matches against title contenders Dortmund and Union Berlin.
As such, their trips to Frankfurt and Gladbach - two teams with very little to play for in the Bundesliga - could prove crucial in terms of helping them stay away from serious danger, as Fuggerstadter desperately seek to extend their 12-year stay in Germany's top flight.
Team News
© Reuters
Frankfurt will remain without Kristijan Jakic, Evan Ndicka, Philipp Max and Hrvoje Smolcic due to long-term injuries, while Jesper Lindstrom is unlikely to be risked after only recently returning from an ankle issue.
Daichi Kamada could return to the starting XI in place of Eric Dina Ebimbe, but Glasner's lack of options in defence may result in him settling on a similar starting XI to the one which was thrashed by Dortmund last time out.
Augsburg, meanwhile, have the lengthiest injury list in the entire division, with Mads Pedersen, Iago, Fredrik Jensen, Reece Oxford, Rafal Gikiewicz, Kelvin Yeboah, Andre Hahn, Tobias Strobl and Beljo all expected to miss the trip to Frankfurt on Saturday.
However, Mergim Berisha may be passed fit to replace Beljo in attack after recovering from his own ankle issue, while Robert Gumny and David Colina are on standby to start should Iago and Pedersen indeed be ruled out after being substituted during their side's 1-1 draw against Stuttgart last weekend.
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Hasebe, Lenz; Buta, Rode, Sow, Knauff; Kamada, Gotze; Kolo Muani
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Koubek; Bauer, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai; Gumny, Engels, Rexhbecaj, Vargas; Maier, Demirovic; Berisha
We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Augsburg
Frankfurt have drawn each of their last three home games 1-1 in the Bundesliga, and we can envisage a repeat scoreline on Saturday.
Given the amount of injuries that Maassen is facing, avoiding defeat in any match has to be viewed as a positive considering the gap that they already have ahead of the relegation zone, while the hosts will be more focused on beating Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal semi-final in midweek.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Brett Curtis
