Eintracht Frankfurt go enter pitch against FC Köln for the Bundesliga Friday night match wey start by 20:30, and coach Adi Hütter don talk am clear say the game no be ordinary game. “Dis na very, very important game, and e fit even be the kind game wey go show us which direction we dey go. Na why I wan see that kind fight from my team,” na wetin Hütter talk on Wednesday for press conference before the match.
The Frankfurt side dey come into the game with serious wound for body. Last week RB Leipzig flog dem 0:6, and Christopher Nkunku na im carry the shine for the Leipzig side with hat-trick.
Things no dey sweet for Frankfurt for the league table so far. After five matches, dem get only five points and dem dey 14th position, something wey no match the standard the club set for itself. But the season still young, and 29 more games remain for dem to correct things.
Hütter no hide im mind as e talk about wetin im team dey lack: stability, fight and intensity. “We too soft for many opponents. We too easy to play against,” e talk. “We must make ourselves hard to play against. I wan see a team on the pitch wey carry the 069 mentality.” The 069 mentality na term wey dem take coin for FUSSBALL 2000, and e mean say Frankfurt suppose show chest, no fear, no hang shoulder.
“I expect say from the first minute, my team go bite, scratch and pinch,” Hütter add.
Robin Koch go still lead the team as captain, even though Hütter pull am comot for halftime against Leipzig, wetin Hütter describe as “saving” am. That decision cause plenty argument after the match. “E dey always about performance. I expect a certain level from my senior players. Robin know that, we don talk about am many times,” Hütter talk. “E no sweet to be subbed off as captain, but e take am very well.” Hütter talk say Koch go play and e go remain captain. “I wan strengthen my senior players. With im class and im experience, e no suppose take this long for am to return to im level.”
Defence na another wahala for Frankfurt. Dem don collect 16 goals so far, and only Borussia Mönchengladbach and Union Berlin collect pass dem at that point. Against Leipzig, Frankfurt play 3-4-2-1, and no single Frankfurt player pass 4.5 for the Kicker ratings, while Koch collect straight 6.
Another problem wey join Frankfurt and Köln together na how dem dey chop goals from set pieces. Both teams don concede five goals from dead-ball situations. Köln dey come into the match with the sweet feeling of derby win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, but the question be whether dem go carry that momentum go Frankfurt and collect the next three points.
Köln however get injury wahala wey dey pile up. Strikers Dallinga and Ragnar Ache no dey available, and long-term injury case Timo Hübers still out. Ellyes Skhiri, wey injure for the derby, and Imad Rondić no go play. Rondić pull muscle for im thigh during Thursday training. Rav van den Berg still out with injury.
The plenty muscle injuries don raise question, and René Wagner talk for the Wednesday press conference say the club dey analyse each case internally.
