2023-10-21 02:54:00
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Eintracht Frankfurt has to regroup following the international break – coach Toppmöller expects an attractive duel in Kraichgau.
Frankfurt – You might say that Dino Toppmöller does a wonderful job of throwing smoke candles. In order not to give the opponent from Kraichgau, TSG Hoffenheim, a hint in advance this Saturday (3:30 p.m.). Basically, almost everything in terms of personnel is still open – except for Sebastian Rode. The captain is still out, a little longer than expected. The Eintracht Frankfurt coach regretted that he had suffered a “small setback”, his calf injury does not yet allow him to train properly, and he will have to be patient for “three, maybe four weeks”. The defensive midfielder has been out for a good month now. So Rode is not playing (the FR reported).
Eintracht without Rode – what will happen to Pacho?
And who hasn’t? Toppmöller keeps this a big secret, but not because of these ominous smoke candles. That doesn’t make any sense anyway, “Hoffenheim know our players, we know theirs”, there aren’t any terribly big secrets there, and yet the 42-year-old coach doesn’t really want to reveal much even at the official press briefing before the league game. “They’re watching it too.”
Why Toppmöller is far from having the “final team line-up” ready (and would never, ever reveal it even if he had it) is obvious: the majority of the squad has been on business trips in the last ten days, partly at the other end of the line World, that needs to be dealt with. Toppmöller noticed a “bit of tiredness” in some of his players, no wonder. Willian Pacho, for example, the formidable defender, only returned from Quito, the capital of Ecuador, on Thursday evening – following a 15-hour flight, time difference: minus seven hours. Kevin Trapp and Ellyes Skhiri have been back since yesterday, Omar Marmoush, Fares Chaibi and Hugo Larsson were only able to complete light regeneration training.
Willian Pacho (left) is obviously well stretched in the game once morest Colombia – but is he also awake? © AFP
Buta, Trapp, Götze: Frankfurt question marks
In addition to the stress of travel and jet lag, there are also small aches and pains. Aurelio Buta, for example, suffered a blow, Kevin Trapp suffered back pain during the warm-up with the DFB team, and a muscle, said Toppmöller, “took hold”. Toppmöller is currently unable to predict whether the 33-year-old ball catcher will be under the crossbar in Hoffenheim. “That wouldn’t be serious.” You have to “take it day by day,” but basically the coach is “totally confident.”
The situation is similar with Mario Götze, the game designer who is a little out of step. He can kick the ball without pain and does so well in training, but his wife is expecting their second child almost every hour, which is why there is a question mark regarding the father’s involvement until shortly before kick-off. “I’m completely relaxed,” says Toppmöller. If Götze is able to play, then the football teacher expects him to act “a little bit” behind the striker in the half spaces and “a little bit” more in the center in order to be closer to the opponent’s goal. And simply become more dangerous to score. But that applies to all Frankfurters.
10,000 Frankfurt fans in Sinsheim
Dino Toppmöller wants to wait for the final training impressions on all of these personnel issues. He will receive this this Friday in the followingnoon – “the boys should sleep in” – when the entire team is training together once more for the first time in 14 days. There are certainly better game preparations, but that’s what happens to most Bundesliga clubs during international match weeks.
Toppmöller expects a lot from the game once morest Kraichgau, which is fifth in the table. “Both teams really like having the ball and playing forward.” Hoffenheim has done better so far, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team has already won five times, scored 16 goals and conceded eleven. A chance for the Hessians? Unfortunately, attacking isn’t exactly Frankfurt’s core competency, six goals in seven games is evidence of this. In addition, Eintracht Frankfurt has been waiting for a win away from home for 14 league matches – the last time there was a three-pointer in an away game was at the beginning of November 2022 (2-1 in Augsburg). The fact that around 10,000 people accompanied the Hessians to Sinsheim is certainly not entirely wrong. On the other hand: TSG Hoffenheim have recently lost two of their three home games, but have won all four away games. You guessed it: it will be the form of the day that counts – and not the smoke and mirrors.
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