Faltering in their push for a top-four finish, Eintracht Frankfurt are winless in six competitive matches (D2, L4), a run which doesn’t look much better if you focus on their last six in the league either (W1, D2, L3). As a result they have slipped to sixth place, and a second successive qualification for the Champions League is now in jeopardy due to a six-point gap, but at least now their European commitments are over for the season, they can focus solely on the league.
Encouragingly, the hosts are unbeaten at home in the league since a 2-1 loss against Dortmund in October (W4, D1), form they will need to sustain to maintain their top-four challenge. Frankfurt did prove their frail nature when drawing 1-1 against relegation-threatened Stuttgart in their last home outing, but considering they had won each of their four previous home games by at least a two-goal margin, a home game looks to be a blessing for Frankfurt.
A resurgent Bochum have pulled themselves out of the relegation zone and are now one of only two clubs in the Bundesliga to have taken six points from the last two matchdays, and after their 1-0 win against Leipzig last time out, Thomas Letsch became the first Bundesliga coach not to draw in any of his first 18 games in charge (W8, L10). With just one goal deciding that Leipzig game, and each of Bochum’s last six matches seeing only one team score (W2, L4), the first goal could hold the key to success here.
A 2-0 win at Cologne on their last travelling outing was only Bochum’s second away win this season, a result which means they are no longer the division’s worst performing away side (W2, L11). However, following up that Cologne victory could prove tricky given Bochum are yet to win successive away games since their Bundesliga promotion in 2021, and the last time they managed to do so was in March 2021 in the second division.
Player to watch: Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani is one of only five players across the top-five European leagues to have registered double-digit goals and assists (11 goals, ten assists). During Bochum’s last away win, Kevin Stöger gave his side the lead from the penalty spot and his three goals this term have all been his team’s first of the game.
Hot stat: Bochum have failed to score in a league-high seven of their 13 away games this term.
