Verdict: Eintracht Frankfurt to qualify
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: Luckster
With a Europa League semi-final spot hanging in the balance on Thursday night, Tottenham will travel to Deutsche Bank Park when they meet Eintracht Frankfurt.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Starting with the hosts, eventually leaving north London with a 1-1 stalemate to show for their troubles last week, Eintracht Frankfurt will believe that they are sat in the driving seat when they return to Germany on Thursday night. Picking up some perfect momentum over the weekend as they stormed their way to a 3-0 victory against Heidenheim, Dino Toppmoller’s men will be desperately seeking a repeat performance here. Marking their return from March’s international break with an eye-catching 1-0 win against Stuttgart, the Eagles have also impressed with their recent dominance on home soil. Extending on their Europa League adventure on March 13th thanks to what was a sensational 4-1 romp against Dutch heavyweight Ajax, Frankfurt will be confident of collecting another major European scalp.
Eintracht Frankfurt Team News
Not featuring since the start of March, Eintracht Frankfurt are expected to remain without the services of veteran goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. However, some in Toppmoller’s camp remain hopeful that former Borussia Dortmund youngster Ansgar Knauff will be able to return to their squad on Thursday night.
Finding the net in north London last week and also bagging a 14th Bundesliga strike of the season against Heidenheim over the weekend, attacking talisman Hugo Ekitike will play a leading role. Former Bayern Munich superstar Mario Gotze should be handed a full recall.
Tottenham
As for the visitors, breaking a string of unwanted records this year, Tottenham have a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders here. Enduring a public Premier League crisis and firmly stuck in the bottom-half of the table, it appears that Ange Postecoglou’s job in north London is hanging by a thread. Putting in another woeful performance over the weekend as they slumped to a 4-2 drumming away at Wolves, the former Celtic boss faces what is a career-defining showdown on Thursday night. Despite edging past dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar last month as they secured a 3-2 aggregate win, Spurs have won just a pair of their previous nine appearances across all competitions. Likewise, the Lilywhites have also gained a reputation for their glaring issues on the road. Along with losing all of their last four away fixtures by an aggregate score of 8-2, they have also lost six of their previous seven matchups outside of north London.
Tottenham Team News
While skipper Heung-Min Son might have missed out away at Wolves last weekend, Tottenham expect the South Korean ace to make a full recovery here. However, undergoing knee surgery at the end of January, Spurs have already confirmed that Romanian defender Radu Dragusin will miss the remainder of the season.
Handed a full domestic rest during Sunday’s 4-2 drumming in the Midlands, Micky van de Ven will make a full return. Although former Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke might have notched just a single strike so far this calendar year, the England international will spearhead Tottenham’s charge.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham Key Factors to Consider
- When Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham met for their first-leg showdown last week, Thursday’s opponents played out a 1-1 stalemate in north London.
- The Eagles have won their previous three matchups at Deutsche Bank Park by an aggregate score of 8-1.
- Tottenham have lost all of their last four showdowns outside of north London by an aggregate score of 8-2.
- Likewise, Spurs have lost six of their last seven matchups outside of north London across all competitions.
- Along with notching a first-leg strike last week, Hugo Ekitike has recorded 10 goals across all competitions so far this calendar year.
Conclusion
Missing out on the chance to claim a crucial first-leg advantage last week, Tottenham will have a major uphill battle on their hands here. Along with losing their previous four consecutive showdowns outside of north London by an aggregate score of 8-2, Spurs have unsurprisingly gained a reputation for their glaring issues on the road. Watching Eintracht Frankfurt collect a heavyweight Europa League scalp last month as they stormed their way to a 4-1 romp at home against Ajax, Thursday’s hosts will be confident of laying down another marker.
Verdict: Eintracht Frankfurt to qualify
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: Luckster
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