When Eintracht Frankfurt starts the second half of the season in Leipzig this Saturday (3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky), they will probably have to do some hard work defensively. With 38 goals scored in 16 first division games, the Saxons are the third most accurate team in the game.
The Belgian Lois Openda is particularly strong in finishing and is the fifth strongest scorer in the league with eleven goals and four assists so far. The record of the Dutchman Xavi Simons, who is on loan from Paris St. Germain, is also impressive with four goals and seven assists. Overall, the Champions League participant Leipzig distributed its many successes across 14 different goalscorers; No other Bundesliga team is harder to predict in this regard. Leipzig has “tremendous quality and an extreme forward pace. We have to be there right away,” emphasized defense chief Robin Koch on Tuesday. He and Eintracht have been warned about re-entering the round ahead of the top team.
The fact that Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller said last weekend that he would “put the focus on defensive work again in the last week of preparation” had more than just to do with the attacking quality of the upcoming opponent. The 2:5 friendly defeat against league rivals Freiburg gave cause for concern, with Eintracht’s defensive behavior in the empty Waldstadion sometimes appearing chaotic.
The Frankfurt team can accept extenuating circumstances because Robin Koch missed the second half of the game with calf problems. “We weren’t 100 percent individually,” said Koch, citing one reason for the defeat in the test. We have to show a different face on defense. “It’s important to improve immediately against Leipzig,” he said, setting the tone. Then the prudent defense strategist will be there again. “Everything was fine” and he had “trained normally”. His substitution was “more of a precautionary measure,” Koch said in retrospect.
How important the 27-year-old is for the stability of the backline was also shown on Tuesday when he signed a contract in Frankfurt until mid-2027. Coming on loan from Leeds United in the summer of 2023, Koch will be a permanent part of the Frankfurt staff from July 1st this year. And that without a transfer fee, as Leeds United had been relegated to the English second division before this season.
Krösche: “A strong sign”
Koch’s “long-term commitment” to unity is “a strong signal,” said sports director Markus Krösche. “Robin is one of the leading players and has been an important top performer since his first game with us, which our young players in particular can follow as a guide.” The 1.91 meter tall central defender has played all of his 23 competitive games so far from the start. Everything happened as he “hoped and imagined”. “I was very convinced from the start that I would fit in here perfectly. During the six months his impression “increased even more”. In the long term, the native of Kaiserslautern can imagine staying in Frankfurt beyond 2027.
However, Koch, who claims to be a leading player in Frankfurt, wants to return to the national team shortly after a long time away. That is his “clear goal,” he said, looking ahead. The defender did not take part in the last round of nominations in 2023 due to an injury, “I was on the right track”. Julian Nagelsmann also conveyed this feeling to him. Not just because Koch was in contact with the national coach. Nagelsmann also sent the Eintracht professional one or two game scenes in which he showed Koch the requirements of the selection team. “He has a game idea that he wanted to pass on to me.” The Eintracht professional saw Nagelsmann’s behavior as a “nice and positive signal. If I perform well, everything is open for a nomination and the European Championships,” said the eight-time national player. He was last ranked among the best German players in June 2021.
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From his point of view, Koch would have achieved the best possible thing with Eintracht if the club qualified for the Champions League. “We are in sixth place and have a good starting position. But we want to achieve even more,” said the new leader. His and the team’s long-term goal is to get into the premier class. If everything goes well, we can continue at the top.” This time in the winter, “we didn’t have to prepare for a long time” makes Koch happy. He also wants to feel happy after the game in Leipzig. In order to win, Eintracht would have to improve significantly compared to the Freiburg game. The involvement of the stability anchor Koch definitely increases the chances of success.
