Ahead of their Bundesliga clash with Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt were in action against HJK Helsinki in the Europa Conference League this week, thrashing their Finnish opponents 6-0 at home. The Deutsche Bank Park has become something of a fortress for head coach Dino Toppmöller, with Die Adler unbeaten at their home ground this season.
Despite the loss of Randal Kolo Muani to Paris Saint-Germain before the close of the summer transfer window, Toppmöller has been able to get Frankfurt playing some very forward thinking football despite a rocky start this season, and they’ve been having no trouble scoring goals as of late. A 3-1 win away from home against Hoffenheim preceded the thrashing they gave HJK, and they’ve been slowly finding their feet both in the league and in Europe.
In the context of their win against HJK, players from all across the pitch contributed to the result, with goals coming from Junior Dina Ebimbe, defenders Robin Koch and Tuta, midfielder Ellyes Skhiri and in form forward Omar Marmoush. This round-robin sharing of the goals shows that Frankfurt has capable scorers all across the pitch.
The first half saw Farès Chaïbi just barely miss out on converting a chance that was drilled across HJK’s goal. Chaïbi almost turned provider after a foul was committed close to Helsinki’s box. Koch was almost able to convert the successive free kick but was put off by Helsinki’s defence. A penalty was awarded in the same sequence of play after VAR stepped in to bring a handball in the box to the referee’s attention. Junior Dina Ebimbe slotted it home with power, and was quickly joined on the scoresheet by Robin Koch and Omar Marmoush.
The goals scored by Koch and Marmoush were the result of very good set piece and counter attacking play. Koch, on his part, was able to make amends for missing Chaïbi’s last free kick and converted the Algerian international’s corner kick in the 26th minute.
Marmoush on the other hand found himself in the box on the end of a nicely lifted ball from Chaïbi. This instance of play didn’t lead to the goal, but started a continuous spell of pressure where Frankfurt recycled the ball and tried again. This time, a long ball sent towards Helsinki’s box eventually found its way to Mario Götze, who fed the ball to Marmoush. It took the Egyptian international three attempts but he was able to eventually fire it into the net.
Frankfurt’s corners continued to put Helsinki under pressure, with Die Adler’s player’s rising well and testing Finnish keeper Jesse Öst in the process. Tuta’s header for Frankfurt’s fourth was once again a result of a well worked corner, this time fired into the box by Ansgar Knauff.
When they weren’t threatening from set pieces, Frankfurt’s midfield did a superb job to read and cut out passes to start blistering counter attacks. These counter attacks would more often than not lead to dangerous shots on goal as well, making it a very restless and uncomfortable visit for HJK. Elleyes Skhiri’s goal was a direct result of this approach; quickly using a turnover in possession, getting the ball forward and laying it on a plate for onrushing teammates in the box.
In the context of their upcoming game against Borussia Dortmund, it would stand to reason that Frankfurt’s recent resurgence will make them a tough matchup for Die Schwarzgelben. Both teams share the fact that they had rocky starts to the season, but have also had a resurgence in terms of form. Both teams are really starting to internalize the message their respective managers are trying to convey, with Dortmund in particular defending more resolutely and re-finding their shape well when team’s try to go on the counter. The defensive partnership of Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck will be an elite level step up to what Frankfurt has faced to date this season, but this doesn’t mean they will completely nullify Die Adler’s threat.
Dortmund have continued to show an uneasiness with set pieces, which, considering how proficient Frankfurt is becoming with them, will be an asset to use to their advantage. Dortmund’s midfield, while improving, has also struggled when pressed directly, a chronic issue that has led to chances for their opposition. This is something Frankfurt could also look to exploit considering the pace and robustness they possess on the pitch.
Frankfurt will also have to be wary of Dortmund’s ability to unlock their defence with far more crisp passing at their disposal than any of the opponents they have faced so far. HJK did have a late resurgence, and while their few attempts in the second half didn’t pay dividends, they did show that Frankfurt could still be got at with accurate, quick interplay, which opened gaps in their defence allowing for shots. Dortmund have the players to get this done in the form of Donyell Malen, Marco Reus, Gio Reyna, and more recently Felix Nmecha, just to name a few. It will be interesting to see how both teams cope in this game and who will eventually prevail in obtaining all three points.
GGFN | Brian Szlenk