Seeking to guarantee a top-six finish in the Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt welcome RB Leipzig to Deutsche Bank Park for their final league fixture of the 2023-24 season on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams last met in the middle of January when the Eagles claimed a slender 1-0 victory at the Red Bull Arena courtesy of an early first-half goal from Ansgar Knauff.
Match preview
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After missing out on a top-six finish by goal difference in 2022-23, Frankfurt are now on the cusp of qualifying for next season's Europa League even though they are guaranteed to finish with fewer points than the previous campaign.
Frankfurt picked up 50 points from their 34 Bundesliga games last season and currently have 46 from 33 games this term, but if they claim at least a draw from Saturday's encounter with Leipzig, they will secure sixth spot ahead of Hoffenheim, who currently sit three points further back in seventh.
Europa League football is the aim for Dino Toppmoller's side, but sixth place could be enough for them to qualify for next season's Champions League if fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund beat Real Madrid in the final; Germany have been awarded an additional spot in the newly-formed competition due to their coefficient ranking.
The fact that Frankfurt are still in contention to qualify for European competition emphasises how well they did during the first half of the campaign, as they enter Saturday's contest having won just three of their last 14 league games since the beginning of February; the Eagles drew 1-1 with Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend having previously been thumped 5-1 at home to champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Frankfurt will fancy their chances of ending the season with a positive result, as they have only lost two of their 16 Bundesliga home matches this term; only unbeaten champions Leverkusen (zero) and Stuttgart (one) have lost fewer home games in 2023-24.
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While Frankfurt still have something to play for, Leipzig are merely playing for pride on Saturday as they have already qualified for the Champions League for a fifth straight season and are guaranteed to finish in fourth place.
Die Roten Bullen have ended the season strongly as they have put together an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions, including three 4-1 wins and a 5-1 victory, although they have been forced to play out back-to-back 1-1 draws in their most recent two outings with Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen.
Against Bremen, in-demand and in-form striker Benjamin Sesko scored for the sixth successive game to cancel out a first-half own goal scored by Nicolas Seiwald to ensure that Leipzig would not lose their final home match of the campaign.
Marco Rose's men require a victory from their final game of the season to match their highest ever points total of 67 set in 2016-17, but success on Saturday could prove challenging as they have not won any of their previous eight visits to Frankfurt, most recently losing 4-0 in September 2022.
Team News
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Eintracht Frankfurt loanees Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) and Donny van de Beek (heel) are both injured and have already played their final game for the club, while young defender Nnamdi Collins, who made his Bundesliga debut last month, is sidelined with a knee problem.
Robin Koch, who has been called up to Germany's preliminary 27-man squad ahead of Euro 2024, is set to continue in the back three alongside Tuta and Premier League-linked Willian Pacho.
Omar Marmoush is Frankfurt's top scorer this season with 11 goals, but he has only found the net once in his last 10 Bundesliga games. The Egyptian is set to retain his place in attack, though, alongside Hugo Ekitike, who will join the Eagles permanently from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
As for Leipzig, they will be without injured midfielder Xaver Schlager (knee), while playmaker Dani Olmo is doubtful with a muscle issue and is unlikely to be risked this weekend.
PSG loanee Xavi Simons is available to make what is set to be his final appearance for Leipzig after serving a suspension last time out, and the Dutchman is in line to return on the left side of attack, with Christoph Baumgartner potentially moving over to the right if Olmo is not fit to feature.
With a team-high 24 goals to his name, at least 13 more than any of his teammates, Lois Openda is set to start in attack alongside Sesko, while David Raum - who is another to be called up to Germany's Euro 2024 squad - could take the place of Benjamin Henrichs at left-back.
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Dina Ebimbe, Gotze, Skhiri, Knauff; Marmoush, Chaibi; Ekitike
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Simakan, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Baumgartner, Haidara, Seiwald, Simons; Openda, Sesko
We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 RB Leipzig
The need for victory, or at least a point, is greater for Frankfurt and their strong home record against Leipzig bodes well ahead of Saturday's contest.
Leipzig will fancy their chances of at least finding the net, especially if in-form Sesko and top scorer Openda link up in attack, but we believe that the hosts will have that extra level of motivation and should find a way to end the season on a high by claiming maximum points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
