WITHknow men, have an opinion. “We want to win,” said Oliver Glasner and Kevin Trapp in unison. No compromises when traveling to the Bosphorus. “We don’t need a slide rule for what if,” added Glasner. The Eintracht coach knows just as well as his goalkeeper that a draw on Thursday (6.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Europa League and on RTL +) at Fenerbahçe Istanbul is enough to secure first place in group D of the Europa League defend.
#Currently, the championship leaders are two points ahead of Olympiacos. But since Eintracht beat the Greeks both at home and away and the direct comparison clearly speaks for Glasner’s team, that draw is enough. But the Hessians do not want to get involved in that at all. “We want to crown our good starting position with a win,” said goalkeeper Trapp on Wednesday shortly before the flight to the Turkish metropolis.
European Cup mood at the interface between Asia and Europe. Once already, 15 years ago, Eintracht was able to compete at Fenerbahçe. It was a big game in which Frankfurt was leading 2-0 for a long time. But because the Turks struck back twice, the miracle of Kadikoy did not materialize. The European Cup campaign, then directed by trainer Friedhelm Funkel, came to an abrupt end in the Asian district of Istanbul.
Such a thing cannot happen in December 2021. Thanks to the 2-1 victory at Olympiakos on the fourth group match day five weeks ago, Eintracht has already secured the ticket for the knockout phase. The only question is whether she has to take the detour via the sixteenth finals or move directly into the round of the last 16 teams. A draw is enough.
Unlike Trapp, Glasner has already been to the Fenerbahçe venue. The Eintracht coach doesn’t know whether the game will be sold out this Thursday on the Bosporus. Many indications, for example the weak performance of the Turks against the former German international Mesut Özil, speak against it. And above all: Frankfurt fans are not allowed on site in Kadiköy by UEFA. Glasner and Trapp regret this, but cannot change it. Either way: With his former club RB Salzburg, Glasner was once in a qualifying game for the Champions League in the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium; also once again with the Linz ASK.
Europe in view: Eintracht goalkeeper Kevin Trapp before departure to the Bosporus
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Bild: Armando Babani
His impressions from then have solidified to this day: “There are heated fans there.” Goalkeeper Trapp even asked his former teammate Russ. “Marco told me about an unbelievable atmosphere,” said the Eintracht goalkeeper with respect. “They are fanatical fans. But we’ve already played in front of a great crowd at Olympiakos. “
Glasner casually moderated the question of whether it was considered to possibly take Özil under cover in order to narrow the circles of the technically inclined offensive player. “I don’t care.” His plan: “We have to collectively close the rooms.” So do it better than a few days ago in Sinsheim, when TSG Hoffenheim lost 3-2. Also because the team did not manage that afternoon to solve the defensive tasks they were given satisfactorily.
As usual, Glasner did not allow himself to be looked at in terms of personnel before the final group game. Only one thing is certain: there will be a change in at least one position. The Eintracht coach confirmed that Jesper Lindström was not part of the tour company that set off for the Bosporus on Wednesday.
The Dane complained of problems with his thigh. Its failure does not have to be a weakening, because as in the previous weeks, Glasner has a wide range of options. A short-term assignment of the long-term injured Christopher Lenz may even be conceivable. Assignments of 15 to 20 minutes – these are exactly the periods of time that Glasner would like to give his captain in the future so that Sebastian Rode can get back on track carefully and piece by piece.
Surrounded: Filip Kostic (left) in the first leg against Fenerbahce
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Image: Huebner
With all the anticipation that the final group game away at Fenerbahçe brings with it: The Eintracht entourage does not want to “become exuberant,” as goalkeeper Trapp warned. At the end of the year “we still have a tight program ahead of us”. There are exactly four games that still have to be played. After the trip to the Turks, Bayer Leverkusen will present itself in the Bundesliga core business in the Frankfurt Arena on Sunday.
The following two encounters in Mönchengladbach and at home against Rhein-Main rivals Mainz conclude the first round point game program. “I see us on the right track,” said Glasner about the development he believes his team has taken since the 1-1 draw against Fenerbahçe. “We have improved in all areas, and we now want to tease more out of the players.” The character test in Kadiköy will kick off.
