Eintracht Frankfurt will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to six matches when they host Stuttgart on Saturday evening.
The visitors head into the encounter six points clear of their opponents in the table, having performed above expectations this season.
Match preview
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Frankfurt, on the other hand, began life slowly under their new boss Dino Toppmoller. This was probably to be expected after losing star striker Randal Kolo Muani to Paris Saint-Germain towards the end of the transfer window, while Toppmoller's predecessor Oliver Glasner was a hugely popular figure at the club after winning the Europa League in May 2022.
However, claiming 11 points from a possible 15 in recent weeks has improved Frankfurt's position in the table as well as Toppmoller's status in his first top flight managerial role. The 42-year-old previously worked as Julian Nagelsmann's assistant at RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
Die Adler fought from two goals down away to Werder Bremen to claim a 2-2 draw in their last game prior to the international break, with Ellyes Skhiri and Hrvoje Smolcic rescuing a point for their side. The result left them in seventh position, five points behind Leipzig in the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot.
Toppmoller's side have already secured their place in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League with two group games to spare after beating HJK Helsinki 1-0 in Finland last time out in that competition. It is a tournament they will be aiming to add to their trophy cabinet this season, as Toppmoller looks to follow in Glasner's footsteps by winning a European trophy.
In the meantime, though, they will be highly focused on maintaining their position in the European qualification spots in the Bundesliga table, while reducing the deficit to high-flying Stuttgart by dispatching them at Deutsch Bank Park this weekend.
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Indeed, very few people could have foreseen Stuttgart winning eight of their opening 11 league fixtures given that they have been fighting against relegation in recent seasons. After finishing 15th in the 2021-22 campaign - edging Hertha Berlin in the relegation play-off spot on goal difference - Die Schwaben had to defeat second tier outfit Hamburger SV to maintain their status in the Bundesliga last time around.
However, they massively improved following Sebastian Hoeness' appointment as manager in early April, losing just one of their last eight league games of the season as the former Hoffenheim boss ultimately guided them to safety. Stuttgart have certainly picked up where they left off to sit third in the table as we head towards the final stretch of 2023.
After suffering back-to-back defeats against Hoffenheim and Heidenheim - which coincided with star striker Serhou Guirassy's hamstring injury - Hoeness' side returned to winning ways by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at MHPArena in their last match.
Deniz Undav and Niclas Fullkrug exchanged strikes in the first half, before Guirassy marked his comeback by dispatching a penalty with only seven minutes remaining havin only entered the match as a substitute.
With the Guinea forward seemingly fully fit once again, Stuttgart will hope to put together another impressive winning run in the coming weeks, with competing in the Champions League for the first time since 2009-10 not an entirely unrealistic proposition based on their recent form.
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Frankfurt will remain without Robin Koch and club captain Sebastian Rode due to calf injuries, but otherwise Toppmoller appears to have a fully fit squad at his disposal.
Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe could provide an interesting option at right wing-back, especially with Ansgar Knauff seemingly preferred to World Cup winner Mario Gotze in one of the hosts' attacking midfield roles.
Stuttgart, meanwhile, will almost certainly restore Guirassy to their front line in place of former Brighton & Hove Albion forward Undav. The German has displayed his qualities in front of goal by scoring five league goals in only 392 minutes this season, but Guirassy provides greater all-round play and has bagged 15 times in only nine appearances himself.
Nicolas Nartey is still sidelined with a knee injury, but Hoeness is blessed with plenty of options at present, including Silas, who is a former Bundesliga Young Player of the Year winner. The 25-year-old could start on the visitors' right flank.
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Smolcic, Pacho; Dina Ebimbe, Larsson, Skhiri, Max; Chaibi, Knauff; Marmoush
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Stenzel, Anton, Zagadou, Ito; Karazor, Stiller; Silas, Millot, Fuhrich; Guirassy
We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Stuttgart
With Stuttgart having the option to combine Guirassy and Silas from the outset once again, they could pose Frankfurt plenty of problems. The hosts have only averaged conceding one goal per game this season, but showed some vulnerabilities when drawing 2-2 against Werder Bremen last time out.
However, only unbeaten sides Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich have lost fewer times than Frankfurt (once) in the Bundesliga this season, and we can envisage them being involved in another thrilling draw on Saturday evening.
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