Stuttgart vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Preview and Prediction
Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt will face each other in the second semi-final of the DFB-Pokal on Thursday. Both teams have been struggling in Bundesliga this year but would aim to end this season with a German domestic title to their name.
While the visitors would be hoping to reach their third German domestic cup final in seven seasons, Stuttgart will look to end their DFB-Pokal trophy drought which they have not won since 1996.
While Stuttgart fans may be optimistic about their team’s chances, they should not underestimate Frankfurt, who has a history of prioritizing cup competitions over league results.
Talking about both team’s journey to the semi-final, Stuttgart got to the last four of the DFB-Pokal with a 1-0 victory win over Nuremberg, while Frankfurt secured the semi-final berth with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin.
Current Form
Despite their struggles in the league, Stuttgart’s recent form has been impressive with four back-to-back wins in the Bundesliga.
Stuttgart’s victory against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday lifted them outside of the relegation places, and a win against Frankfurt on Wednesday would take them one step closer to their first major final in over a decade.
Frankfurt, on the other hand, have failed to win any of their last nine Bundesliga matches. They are currently in ninth place in the league table. Die Adler played out a fourth consecutive 1-1 draw against Augsburg at the weekend, generating only one shot on target across the 90 minutes.
Frankfurt’s manager, Oliver Glasner, will be determined to win his second major trophy in only two seasons at the club following his move from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2021.
Head to Head Record
Talking about the head-to-head record between these two clubs, VfB Stuttgart has enjoyed more success over Frankfurt. Out of the 36 matches played, Stuttgart has won 17 games while Frankfurt has won 11.
However, Frankfurt has had the upper hand in the last six encounters. In the last six matches played between the two teams, four have ended in draws, while Frankfurt won the other two games.
Team News
Frankfurt’s injury woes continue ahead of the Stuttgart clash
Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy was taken off early in the second half during their game against Gladbach. In case Guirassy is unable to play, Tanguy Coulibaly is likely to get a start.
Coach Hoeness will look to rotate players, considering they will plan another important game against Hertha in 72 hours’ time. Florian Muller, Fuhrich, and Genki Haraguchi could be added to the starting lineup.
Frankfurt, on the other hand, is struggling with injuries and will be without several key players, including Kristijan Jakic, Evan Ndicka, Philipp Max, and Hrvoje Smolcic.
Randal Kolo Muani is likely to make a comeback for the next match after he missed the weekend’s draw against Augsburg due to an adductor issue. Jesper Lindstrom is also likely to start after his return from an ankle injury.
Predicted Starting XIs
Stuttgart (5-3-2): Florian Müller; Josha Vagnoman, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Waldemar Anton, Borna Sosa; Genki Haraguchi, Atakan Karazor, Wataru Endo; Silas Mvumpa, Serhou Guirassy
Eintracht Frankfurt (3-4-2-1): Kevin Trapp; Tuta, Makoto Hasebe, Christopher Lenz; Eric Dina Ebimbe, Sebastian Rode, Djibril Sow, Ansgar Knauff; Jesper Lindstrom, Mario Gotze; Kolo Muani
Prediction
Although Eintracht Frankfurt has underperformed this season in Bundesliga, they would still be confident of defeating Stuttgart. Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart has also been struggling in the Bundesliga but they will see the DFB Pokal as a great chance to turn things around.
Despite this, Eintracht Frankfurt has had a better season overall and is expected to win the match.