Frankfurt vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

Eintracht Frankfurt, currently sitting 6th in the Bundesliga with 45 points from 31 games, are aiming to secure a spot in next season’s Europa Conference League. After missing out on qualification through the playoffs this season, securing a direct spot is paramount. Under the stewardship of Dino Toppmöller, Eintracht have shown commendable consistency, positioning themselves to potentially surpass last season's 7th-place finish. Last year, they amassed 50 points, and now they require six points from their remaining two games to better that total. While this is a challenging task, it’s within the realm of possibility for a side that have shown resilience throughout the campaign.

Eintracht’s standout player this season, Egyptian attacking midfielder Omar Marmoush, has been a pivotal figure. With 12 goals and 6 assists, Marmoush has been instrumental in driving the team’s offensive play, making him the team’s top scorer. Alongside him, defender Willian Pacho has also been a key asset, bolstering the defence and contributing to their solid performances.

At the other end of the spectrum, Bayer Leverkusen, under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, have had a season for the ages. Already crowned Bundesliga champions with 81 points from 31 games, they have set numerous records along the way. Not only have they clinched their first-ever Bundesliga title, but they have also done so without losing a single game thus far. With three games left in the season, they are on the brink of completing an unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga campaign.Leverkusen’s success isn’t confined to the domestic league.

They are also making significant strides in European and cup competitions. Positioned in the semi-finals of the Europa League and the final of the DFB-Pokal, they are pursuing a rare unbeaten treble — a feat not often seen across Europe’s top leagues.Key players such as Florian Wirtz, Álex Grimaldo, and Granit Xhaka have been instrumental in their success. Wirtz, one of Europe’s most coveted young talents, has been a creative powerhouse in midfield. Grimaldo's contributions from the left wing-back position have added a new dimension to their attacks, while Xhaka has been a linchpin in midfield, providing stability and experience.

In recent meetings, Bayer Leverkusen have had the upper hand over Eintracht Frankfurt, winning three out of their last five encounters. This includes a commanding 3-0 victory in December, highlighting Leverkusen's dominance in this fixture. However, each match presents a new opportunity, and with Eintracht's pressing need for points to secure European qualification, this upcoming game could be fiercely contested.Given the contrasting motivations — Eintracht’s push for Europe and Leverkusen’s quest to maintain an unbeaten record — the match promises to be an intriguing affair.

Eintracht will need to leverage their home advantage and focus on containing Leverkusen’s dynamic attack while posing threats through Marmoush and their other key players.As we look towards Sunday's matchup, it's set to be a captivating encounter with both teams having a lot at stake. For Eintracht Frankfurt, it’s about securing European football next season, while for Bayer Leverkusen, it's about etching their name into the annals of Bundesliga history with an unbeaten season. With strategic battles on the pitch and significant outcomes off it, this Bundesliga fixture is poised to be one of the highlights of the footballing weekend in Germany.

Eintracht Frankfurt Team News:

Sebastian Rode, Mehdi Loune and Sasa Kalajdzic are likely to miss out for the home side once again as the trio continue their recovery from knee injuries.French forward Hugo Ekitike bagged his first goal for the club two games ago and he's now coming into this encounter with two in two after scoring at the weekend, so he'll be hoping he can continue on his current goalscoring trajectory here.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News:

Leverkusen are doing excellently on the injury front with Adam Hlozek and Borja Iglesias the only two set to miss out. Granit Xhaka is available once again after serving a suspension.One or two names could be rested here given the game is sandwiched in between a two-legged Europa League semi-final with AS Roma, but Xabi Alonso generally hasn't shown a tendency to make wholesale changes to his side regardless of the circumstances as of yet.

Eintracht have lost form in recent weeks as they enter this game with one win, two draws and two defeats in their last five games. Their most recent game was a 2-1 loss away at Bayern Munich where Hugo Ekitike's goal was rendered redundant by a Harry Kane brace.

Prior to that, goals from Farès Chaïbi, Ekitike and Omar Marmoush gave them a 3-1 win over Augsburg, a result that came after a heavy 3-0 defeat in Stuttgart, a 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen and a 0-0 draw against Union Berlin. Eintracht are, in fairness, much stronger when playing at home than when playing on the road, as they come into this game unbeaten in their last nine Bundesliga games on home soil, winning five of those.

Leverkusen have been bang in form at effectively every point of this season but they're coming into this game amidst a three-match winless run for the first time this season. Their unbeaten streak was very, very nearly brought to an end at the weekend against Stuttgart as the visitors took a 2-0 lead over Xabi Alonso's men, but goals from Amine Adli and Robert Andrich rescued a point, with Andrich's equaliser coming in the 96th minute. Leverkusen's season has been characterised by last-minute winners and equalisers, and the frequency with which they've been able to score goals in this manner is almost baffling.That draw followed a 1-1 draw away in Dortmund, where Josip Stanišić equalised in the 97th minute for Leverkusen, a result that came after a 1-1 draw away at West Ham United in the Europa League, where Jeremie Frimpong levelled the scores for Leverkusen in the 89th minute.Prior to that, Leverkusen hammered Werder Bremen 5-0, courtesy of a hat-trick from Florian Wirtz and goals from Victor Boniface and Granit Xhaka in the game that secured the league title, which was preceded by a 2-0 win over West Ham thanks to goals from Jonas Hoffman and Boniface.

The frequency with which Bayer Leverkusen keep netting last-gasp winners and equalisers is almost unprecedented and leads you to believe they're not only going to complete the unbeaten Bundesliga season but also the unbeaten treble. Eintracht Frankfurt's form has dipped quite a bit so it's tough to see Leverkusen losing this one, so once again we expect Xabi Alonso and co to chalk three points on the board.

Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen