What will Eintracht Frankfurt's starting line-up be against Napoli?
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Last season, Oliver Glasner’s Eintracht Frankfurt finished eleventh in the Bundesliga but managed to defeat Real Betis, Barcelona and West Ham United on their way to winning a UEFA Europa League final penalty shootout against Rangers in Seville.
Their intense and organised three-at-the-back system suffocated both Barca and West Ham in particular as they performed above their normal and expected levels, especially in the Bundesliga. Thanks to UEFA Champions League revenues and qualification, they were able to strengthen their squad in the summer, losing just Filip Kostic as a first-team player from their triumphant, over-achieving squad.
Given that, rotation has been fairly common for Glasner throughout this campaign but it is unlikely that the former Salzburg boss will be too experimental for this one; which, despite only being five points off the top-of-the-table in Germany, is their biggest game of the season so far.
The regular back-three of Kristijan Jakic, Tuta and the in demand Evan Ndicka is expected to take to the field with the most important player in the entire 3-4-2-1 system being Ndicka. Philipp Max at left wing-back, Kostic’s replacement, is extremely attack-minded and Ndicka’s ability to essentially transform the team into a hybrid 4-2-3-1 system is imperative.
Ansgar Knauff, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, is often criticised for poor decision-making or poor end product in the final third. The flying wing-back, former winger, on the right-hand side, is extremely impressive but often lacks composure to increase his output. Whilst often being a persistent threat and nuisance, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Glasner take the more pragmatic choice of Aurelio Buta, who joined in the summer from Royal Antwerp, at wing-back to mark Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Daichi Kamada and Djibril Sow were utterly magnificent in the four matches that they played against Barcelona and West Ham last season. Both had the technical ability to run rampant at Camp Nou and cause repeated issues through the middle of the pitch at the London Stadium. Kamada, in particular, has gone on to shine at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Japan in a similarly intense pressing role and both players will be pivotal to any Frankfurt success on the night.
Jesper Lindstrom, a vibrant attacking player who has played a lot of his football on the wing, should start in one of the two slots behind the striker. Alongside Lindstrom is expected to be Mario Gotze. The German 2014 FIFA World Cup winner offers a more deliberate and carefully creative balance to Lindstrom’s more aggressive dynamism.
Whilst Rafael Santos Borre and Lucas Alario offer perfectly capable and useful replacements off the bench, Frankfurt’s line will be led by France’s Randal Kolo Muani. Following his free transfer from Nantes last summer, Kolo Muani has gone on to be one of this season’s stars in the Bundesliga, hitting double figures already this season, despite his game being about facilitation as much as anything else. In fact, the French international also has a staggering 13 assists to his name, too.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Trapp; Jakic, N'Dicka, Tuta; Buta, Kamada, Sow, Max; Lindstrom, Gotze; Kolo Muani
UNAVAILABLE: Ebimbe (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
