Eintracht Frankfurt’s quest to avoid a third consecutive trophyless season hinges on overcoming Tottenham Hotspur in a mouth-watering Europa League quarter-final tie.
Frankfurt’s morale suffered a blow in the build-up to this season-defining clash as fellow Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen thumped Dino Toppmoller’s side 2-0 on Saturday.
As a result of another underwhelming league result, Die Adler’s lead on fifth-placed RB Leipzig sunk to three points, casting doubt on their quest to secure a top-four finish for the first time since 1993.
However, Frankfurt cannot let their league concerns distract them from pursuing continental glory for the first time since hoisting the Europa League title in 2021/22.
Twin Pillars
Omar Marmoush would’ve been the mainstay of Toppmoller’s bid to overcome Tottenham in this heavyweight two-legged tie had he not left the club to join Manchester City in January.
Despite the Egyptian star’s departure, Frankfurt can still turn to two high-performing forwards for a moment of brilliance as they aim to upset the apple cart in North London.
Veteran playmaker Mario Gotze notched up a brace in Die Adler’s commanding 4-1 home victory against Ajax in the last knockout round en route to a 6-2 aggregate triumph.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich ace will have an added motive here, having lost all five previous matches against Tottenham, accounting for his personal worst against any club.
Ex-Paris Saint-Germain starlet Hugo Ekitike netted once in that emphatic home victory, taking his Europa League tally to three goals in ten appearances this season.
In addition, he chipped in with three assists, forming part of his eye-catching overall tally of 19 goals and eight set-ups across 40 competitive matches in 2024/25.
According to TEAMtalk, the 22-year-old has become a concrete target for runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool heading into the summer transfer window.
Mixed Results
Consistency has recently been an issue for Frankfurt, as their last three competitive games have fluctuated between victories and defeats (W2, L1), with the only loss coming on the road.
Before beating Ajax 2-1 in Amsterdam in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie, Die Adler had also lost back-to-back away matches in the Europa League, conceding multiple goals on both occasions.
However, Toppmoller’s charges have been prolific in the final third, impressively netting 2+ goals in 70% of their European fixtures this term, including five of their last six.
Frankfurt will likely have to shore up their defensive woes to get a favourable result in London after posting an evenly-balanced record across their last four road trips in all competitions (W2, L2).
Stern Test
This tournament is Frankfurt’s only chance to avoid a trophyless campaign, but it’s Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side that enters with the pressure of expectation.
Postecoglou’s position in the dugout is under imminent threat, with Spurs reportedly establishing contact with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner amid talks they’re considering the Australian’s dismissal (via Daily Mirror).
With the London powerhouse on the brink of their worst Premier League finish since 2008, going all the way in the Europa League is arguably Postecoglou’s only chance to stay at the helm.
The pressure is at an all-time high as Spurs aim to halt a disastrous 17-year silverware drought and salvage the worst season in the club’s recent memory.
Despite Tottenham’s struggles, Frankfurt cannot take anything for granted, not least because Spurs haven’t lost a European game on home turf since the beginning of 2020/21 (W15, D3).
As if that’s not ominous enough, Die Adler slumped to a 3-2 defeat on their only previous visit to Tottenham’s home ground in October 2022.
Potential Starting Line-ups
Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Maddison, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Frankfurt (4-3-3): Kaua Santos; Kristensen, Theate, Koch, Brown; Shkiri, Larsson, Tuta; Gotze, Ekitike, Bahoya.
