Even before the second game in the Champions League at Olympique Marseille, the euphoria at Eintracht Frankfurt has evaporated. Coach Glasner makes his team responsible, tactically there could be a backwards role.
In the center of Marseille, the tension before Eintracht Frankfurt’s Champions League visit was already noticeable on Monday. In the afternoon, several police vans drove up to the old port, which is surrounded by countless pubs and restaurants. Although only a few Hessian fans, who should rather avoid this zone on the best of terms of harmony, were out and about, heavily armed security forces patrolled the narrow streets. A strange picture.
Unbridled anticipation of the first premier class away game in the history of the Frankfurt club could not really arise despite the actually perfect conditions of summer weather, pubs and the view of the sea. The general mood on site: something between queasy and nervous. So very similar to what is currently happening with Eintracht. After two weak games in a row, coach Oliver Glasner’s team urgently needs a sense of achievement and a turnaround right now. There is a lot in this game on and off the pitch.
The mood at Eintracht is clouded
Coach Glasner was optimistic at the press conference in the impressive Stade Velodrome on Monday evening. “We’re taking a positive approach and want to get the first points.” However, the fact that the mood at the Europa League winners was better after the rather bumpy start to the season cannot be denied. In the Bundesliga, the Hessians are eleventh, in the premier class they are already under pressure after one game. “The start didn’t go as planned,” said Glasner. Internally, too, so one hears, things are said to have been more harmonious at the executive level.
One thing is clear: the euphoria that brought Eintracht to win the Europa League title last season has long gone. Above all, the bloodless performance against VfL Wolfsburg last Saturday (0:1) worsened the mood significantly. “I was angry, but the players were also self-critical,” Glasner summarized the mood in the dressing room. Against anything but outstanding wolves, Eintracht lacked what had always characterized them in recent years: mental readiness and heart. A performance close to declaring bankruptcy.
The game in Marseille is therefore all the more important. Eintracht, who swept RB Leipzig 4-0 a little over a week ago, must prove that the defeats against Sporting Lisbon (0: 3) and Wolfsburg were just slip-ups and the sometimes devastating fluctuations in performance are not the cause become a habit. “We have to learn from this and develop further,” demanded Glasner. “It’s not that we can’t.” Clear message: The players are now responsible for the delivery.
Glasner will probably return to the back four
It is still uncertain which eleven players will start this task on Tuesday evening (9 p.m.). Since Luca Pelligrini, the second of two left-backs, also signed off injured on Monday and did not even fly to the Cote d’Azur and there is no trained right-back in the squad anyway, Eintracht suddenly has no specialist staff for the two outside positions in the back four there. Means: Coach Glasner has to come up with something on the defensive and will probably return to the tactic with a three-man chain and two track players.
“It could well be that Makoto Hasebe is in the starting XI,” said Glasner meaningfully. In this case, the Japanese would take the central position next to Evan N’Dicka and Tuta, Ansgar Knauff could spin on the right, Faride Alidou on the left get a chance of parole. There is also good news from Sebastian Rode. The captain reported back earlier than planned after recovering from injury and could move straight into the starting line-up. “We will discuss together how much playing time he is capable of. But he is fit.”
It’s Champions League!
In the witches’ cauldron in Marseille on Tuesday, however, the attitude will be more decisive than the opening. While it should remain peaceful in the ranks filled with 70,000 fans, things have to get going on the pitch. “We all want to celebrate a football festival here. In a great stadium, with two traditional clubs and two great teams,” said Glasner. “We’re playing in the Champions League, it’s still great fun and a great feeling. We can only grow from it.”
So there it was after all, the anticipation of a historic event. If the Hessians miss the trend reversal, there is a risk of a rude awakening in everyday life.
This is how Eintracht could play in Marseille.
