Season Preview: 2022/2023

 

Bundesliga Season Preview (2022/2023) – Eintracht Frankfurt

Basics: Full Name: Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.
Nicknames: Die Adler (The Eagles); S.G.E.; Launische Diva (Moody Diva) Founded: March 8th, 1899 

Club Colors: Black, White,(Schwarz - Weiss Vie Schnee!) and Red.
Primary Rivals: Kickers Offenbach, Mainz ‘05, 1. FC Kaiserslautern,
Fan Friendship: Oldham Athletic (England)
Stadium: Duetsche Bank Park (Das Waldstadion)

Year Built: 1925 Capacity: 51,500 2017-2018
Attendance: 444,750 (26,162 per match; 5th in Bundesliga)
Trophies: 

• German Championship – 1959 
• DFB Pokal – 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 2018 
• 2.Bundesliga – 1997/1998 
• UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League – 1979-80 , 2021-22
• UEFA Intertoto Cup – 1967 2019/2020

Kits:

Coach: Oliver Glasner

2020/21 Bundesliga Position: 5th DFB

Pokal Result: Lost in Second Round

Roster Changes:

Additions: Lucas Alario, Jens Petter Hauge, Mario Götze, Kristijan Jakic, Hrvoje Smolčić, Randal Kolo Muani, Aurélio Buta, Faride Alidou, Marcel Wenig.

Returning from Loan: Ali Akman, Fynn Otto, 

Players Leaving: Steven Zuber, Dominik Kohr, Rodrigo Zalazar, Danny da Costa, Aymen Barkok, Stefan Ilsanker, Martin Hinteregger, Erik Durm, Enrique Herrero, Martin Pecar, Elias Bördner, Ragnar Ache, Antonio Foti, Sam Lammers

2021/2022 Overview: 

It was a season of two faces......as if Jekyll-and-Hyde had enchanted our beloved Diva and turned her into something better, and worse.  The magical run through Europa League was the most exhilarating experience I had ever had as a fan of Eintracht Frankfurt.  The 11th place finish in the Bundesliga Table was among the most disappointing.  Along the way were historic victories (2-1 vs. Bayern in Munich), and heartburn-causing defeats (SV Waldhof in the DFB Pokal, the opener vs. Dortmund, Hertha, Bochum, Bielefeld).  The season had more good than bad, however, as Die Adler qualified for Champions League for the first time.  

While it was a season with ups and downs, it was also a season of refinement for the Eagles as new players, a new system, a new coach, and a new Front Office began to reshape the Eagles after the departure of Adi Hutter, Fredi Bobic, and Andre Silva. Oliver Glasner worked hard to create continuity and install his system, and in the end had a team that didn't really excel at anything.  11th in Goals Scored, 7th in Goals Against, and Eintracht's -4 Goal Differential was 10th in the Bundesliga.  Despite Kevin Trapp's brilliant and often Super Heroic play, Eintracht kept only 5 clean sheets on the year, ranking 14th in the league.  What really hurt the most was the fact they scored 25 goals less than the year before, and newcomer Rafael Santos Borre continuously struggled to find footing and space in front of the net.  Borre's 8 goals paced the team, however, it was a far cry from the productivity we've seen at the striker position over the last decade.  Couple that with inconsistent performances from key playmaker Daichi Kamada and Eintracht were constantly chasing goals they couldn't get, only to give one up by chasing the goal.  

There were bright spots.  Newcomers Jesper Lindstrøm, Angsar Knauff, and Kristijan Jakić were terrific additions to the team and helped carry Eintracht to an unbeaten Europa League run.  Filip Kostic was......well....Filip Kostic, and the combination of Tuta and Evan N'Dicka were solid all year long.  The culmination of the season, a trophy-winning performance in the Europa League, a performance this fan base has been yearning for, was almost worth the 4 decades' wait.  Borre and Trapp secured their statues outside Deutsche Bank Park, and the Frankfurter Römer was soo festive it made Mardi Gras look tame.  

2022-23 Outlook:

The biggest story of this offseason is a part of the squad that has been desperately missing: depth.  Most importantly attacking depth.  The additions of Kolo Mauni, Gotze, and Alario will give Oliver Glasner a myriad of weapons to bring in late-game energy, adjust tactics and the starting 11, and give flexibility in squad rotations.  For the last several years, Eintracht hasn't had the depth of squad to compete in two or three competitions at once.  With the depth added this offseason, there shouldn't be much drop-off from game to game and will allow Glasner to keep fresh legs for all three fronts.

The additions of Smolčić and Onguéné are much needed after the departures of Martin Hintiregger and Stefan Ilsanker.  Overall, this squad should be in much better shape than it has been at any point in the last 12 years, and the amazing part is how much of it came on free transfers.  

Position Outlook:

Goalkeeper

Kevin Trapp, Jens Grahl, Diant Ramaj, Matteo Bignetti

Kevin Trapp returns between the posts for his 8th term in Black and White.  Trapp was simply brilliant last season and was arguably the best Keeper in Germany.  Trapp's fiery leadership and intensive style are the driving force behind Eintracht's success over the last 4 years.  Trapp posted his best statistical season since he returned to Frankfurt, allowing a Frankfurt-best 1.31 goals against/game, posted a save percentage of 73.7% (best ever for him at Eintracht, third best in the Bundesliga), stopped  152 shots (1 off his career high), and posted a career-best 17 wins on the year.  He was THE reason Eintracht won the Europa Pokal against Rangers. Not only his penalty stop but also the unbelievable save he had to keep the game 1-1 in the 119th minute.  Trapp should be able to write whatever history here he wants, as he's signed through 2024, and should end his career at Deutsche Bank Park.  Grahl, Ramaj, and 18-year-old Matteo Banetti may see some spot time as the year goes on, but don't look for any of them to make any noise.

Central Defense:

Evan N'Dicka, Tuta, Almamy Touré, Jérôme Onguéné, Hrvoje Smolčić, Makoto Hasebe. 

Evan N'Dicka returns to lead the backline for the 2022 season.  N'Dicka is an enormously talented and highly underrated defender.  The tall (6'4"), super athletic defender is the cornerstone to the Eintracht defense.  N'Dicka led all defenders and was second in the Bundesliga in Arial Duels won (151, 184 across all competitions), led Eintracht in dribblers tackled (49), blocks (104), balls recovered (457) clearances (160), tackles (89), passes completed (2028), and ranked fourth in interceptions (90) across all competitions. Add to that his 4 goals, 4 assists, 85.4% passing efficiency, and 100 progressive passes completed and N'Dicka is as talented and well-rounded a defender as you will find in Germany. He is also a workhorse, posting 43 starts (44 appearances) and playing 3,916 minutes.  Only Kevin Trapp posted more.  

N'Dicka will be coupled with two lightning-quick and extremely smart defenders: Tuta and Toure.  The latter two are tough gritty defenders, locking down the right side of attacks.  Toure had a very low-key but excellent season last year, spending much of the time on the bench in favor of Makato Hasebe and Martin Hintiregger.  It wasn't until October he began to see any regular playing time, and he took over for the injured Hinteregger late in the year.  Toure started both legs of the matchups against Barcelona and West Ham, and started the final over Rangers after not seeing the field for almost all of January, February, and March. Tuta started last year off rough, losing time after the defeats to Manhoff and Dortmund.  He managed to work his way into solid form, and after October was a mainstay in the starting 11.  Tuta managed to pitch in over 3,000 minutes on 37 starts, both better than his accumulated career total entering the season.  With these three, Eintracht has a young and athletic back line they can grow with.  

The ageless Makato Hasebe returns for what is most likely his last season as a player.  Signing an agreement to play one more year with the Eagles before moving into a coaching role, the 38-year-old will provide quality depth in the starting 11 and off the bench.  Onguéné has the chance to be dynamic. He's tall, fast, has good instincts, and has the physicality to win the ball back in the box.  He is very reminiscent of a right-footed, slightly shorter, Evan N'Dicka.  Smolčić is a steady, left-footed veteran defender that will add depth and can hopefully take some of the workload off of N'Dicka.  Despite the loss of #HintiArmy, this unit is very deep and extremely talented.

Midfield.

Sebastian Rode, Djibril Sow, Makoto Hasebe, Daichi Kamada, Jesper Lindstrøm, Ajden Hrustic, Mario Götze, Kristijan Jakić, Mehdi Loune, Marcel Wenig

Is there a bigger sign that this is not the same ol' Eintracht way of doing business than the bringing in of Mario Götze?  While far from the Götze of the World Cup-winning DFB, Götze is a smart veteran who will bring experience, toughness, and lots of energy to this midfield.  This move is basically a higher-powered version of the Sebastian Rode move that has worked out soo well for Eintracht.  Götze has the ability to revitalize his career in Germany after a two-year stint with PSV Eindhoven.  Super Mario can still make plays, posting 10 assists in over 3,000 minutes in 2022, and with the weapons around him in Frankfurt, you can expect for Götze to really cause problems to the opposing defense.  The key piece of this offseason, Götze and Eintracht are a perfect pairing.  Eintracht doesn't NEED Götze to be the star, they just need him to be a piece of the puzzle.  There are enough players around him that all he needs to do is relax and make the right play, and there should be plenty of opportunities for him to do that this year.  What Eintracht needs the most out of Götze is consistency, something they desperately lacked last year with Daichi Kamada and Jesper Lindstrøm.  While both made plays and Lindstrøm was named  Bundesliga Rookie of the Year, they both had a bucketload of plays they simply didn't make.  

Kamada, much like Eintracht over the years, has been a player of two faces.  There's "Bundesliga Kamada", who is wildly inconsistent and often unable to make the final play.  Then There's "Every Other Competition Kamada", who is a star.  In the last two European Campaigns, (2019/20; 2021/22) Kamada has 11 goals and 3 assists in 1,800 minutes played. In 2021/22, Daichi had 4 goals and 3 assists in 2,100 Bundesliga Minutes, in 2019/2020, he had 2 goals and 4 assists in 1,900 Bundesliga minutes.  His best season in Frankfurt came with no European competition.  Jesper needs to make a big jump this season, and while he flashed the ability to hit scorchers into the back of the net, he also seemed to struggle with the physicality and pace of play that the Bundesliga brings.  Aidjen Hrustic will also be in the mix, look for him to add rotational/bench minutes throughout the year.  

The strength of this Eintracht team will be in its defensive midfield.  With Rode, Jakic, and Sow Eintracht have a high-energy, hard-nosed, blue-collar midfield that will fight for the ball all over the pitch.  Sow was one of the Bundesliga's most productive defensive midfielders last year:

548 Pressures - 7th Best among midfielders.

69 Tackles - 8th 

70 Interceptions - 5th 

302 Recoveries - 10th 

Sow is a gnat in the midfield, buzzing around and making everyone uncomfortable.  He's the most important part of the midfield, he sets the tone with his energy and work rate.  Rode and Jakic are both rough, rugged defenders who bring tenacity and physicality to the midfield, and the ability to break lines with the pass.  I mean, who doesn't remember this?

Loune and Wenig are both intriguing young prospects who may see time in friendlies or Pokal matches but would be surprised if either passes 100 minutes played.

Wings/Wingbacks:

Filip Kostic, Timmy Chandler, Ajden Hrustic, Jens Petter Hauge, Feride Alidou, Ansgar Knauff, Aurélio Buta, Jan Schröder, Christopher Lenz.

The best news of this offseason is that Filip Kostic is still here.  2021/22 was the first year since his arrival that Kostic didn't lead the Bundesliga in crosses from open play, and still managed to get in 71 more than the 3rd place finisher.  He is the machine that drives the attack, but Eintracht has become less reliant on him in a good way.  Ansgar Knauff has helped balance out the attack, giving the Eagles the ability to attack down both sidelines.  Both Kostic and Knauff are two-way players, tracking back and attacking opposing ball carriers and playing the passing lanes like angry dogs.  The duo help stretch the field both vertically and horizontally because they are a constant threat to beat teams in behind.  As big as Kostic has been for Eintracht over the last 3 years, the best signing of last year was bringing Knauff in on loan from Dortmund.  Knauff's right-footed laser beam in the 48th minute of the second leg against Barcelona secured advancement by Die Adler, and his header 48 seconds into the opening matchup against West Ham helped pave the path to the Championship, and his perfect square back that found Borre right in front of the net secured it.  Knauff made big plays in big moments from the moment he put on the Black and White.

While this pair streaks up and down the touchline like banshees, there is a notable dropoff in ability between them and their relief.  Lenz, Hauge, and Hrustic are a large step down from the two above them, and Timmy Chandler has lost a step or two along the way.  While Hauge and Hrustic can get forward and threaten the defense, they aren't quite as fast and are not the crossing threats of the first group.  Lenz and Chandler are solid defenders, but not quite as dangerous going forward.  The newcomers, Alidou and Buta, offer the same athleticism but are young and unproven.  Alidou did manage 1,200 minutes and posted 2 goals and 3 assists last year for Hamburg in the 2. BLiga, but will need to make a jump to the next level if he hopes to make an impact. Buta should be a depth/rotational piece who could work his way into the rotation as the year goes on.

Striker:

Rafael Borré, Randal Kolo Muani, Lucas Alario, Gonçalo Paciência, Ali Akman

Quality depth at striker was the largest need of the offseason.  While Borre struggled to adjust to the Bundesliga and find the back of the net with consistency, there was no one behind him that could offer any form of help.  The additions of Lucas Alario and Randal Kolo Mauni are not only huge depth pieces but give Glasner guys that can actually push Borre for playing time.  RKM is electric, his straight-line speed is world-class, and has good feet for a player of his size (6'2").  He's not only tall, but has a good frame and while the physicality of Bundesliga defenders will take some time to adjust to, he's not scared to throw a shoulder into a defender while fighting for the ball.  He can also do something this team has sorely missed since Sebastian Haller: simply go get the ball.  He has excellent leaping ability and at 6'2" he can get to balls most Bundesliga defenders won't be able to and his speed allows him to run past most defenders and get to balls others can't. It should be much more shocking that Eintracht was able to get him on a free transfer than it was, but it's a story that hasn't had much publicity.

 Alario is an also excellent addition.  The veteran Bundesliga striker scored .81 goals per 90 minutes over the last two years, which would have placed him 4th in the Bundesliga if he'd had enough minutes to qualify.  Alario is smart, finds positions well, and can really put his head on the ball.  He's a fantastically accurate shooter, posting shot-on-target percentages of 48.6% and 56.5% the last two years.  Behind them is the ever-dependable Gonçalo Paciência.  Paciência will see a drastic drop off in playing time during these campaigns, but is a terrific locker room guy and needs to be around.  Ali Akman returns after his stint in the Netherlands.  The 19-year-old knocked home 6 goals and 0 assists in just over 1500 minutes played for NEC Nijmegen in 2022.  With this group, Eintracht has a very talented, very deep group that will allow Glasner to play 1,2, or even 3 of them together if he wants.  With Alario, Muani, and Gotze in tow, Eintracht will add roughly 15 goals this year in league play.

 

Synopsis:

This is the most talented group of Eintracht players, top to bottom, that we've seen here in a while.  They have plenty of depth at most key positions, especially the midfield, forwards, and back line. While there have been better top-end individuals, this group has a chance to be special.  If they can gel and come together, this could easily be the best Eintracht group since the 1990s.  The fact that there was addition without subtraction should help, and some of the additions should ensure that Eintracht can have a high-energy squad for 90 minutes on a day-in, day-out basis.  Glasner should have a lot of fun with this group, and it should be a ton of fun to watch.  This team should be about 10-15 goals better than last year, and while losing Martin Hintiregger will change the defense a little, they are actually more athletic in covering space without him.  Playing in 3 campaigns could wear down some of the positions without much help (Kostic, Knauff), the other positions are more than equipped to handle the load.  Glasner's high-pressing system with this group will wear down opponents, and you'll see Eintracht pick up 3 points more often than last year, especially in league play.  One of the major problems last year was the inability to consistently pick up 3 points against the team below them in the table, especially in Deutsche Bank Park.  This year's team will be different.

The Eagles have proven over the years that they are up to the task of playing with Europe's best, especially La Liga and English Premier League opponents. There is enough firepower here to make noise in their Champions League group, and the early rounds of the knockout stage.  Today's win over Magdeburg in the DFB Pokal was convincing, and Eintracht should be looking for another deep run in this competition as well.  This has a chance to be a magical year, as long as the Diva doesn't rear her head too often.

Prediction: 

Eintracht has the talent to be a top 4 team, but with the stress of balancing their first Champions League appearance and making a run in the DFB Pokal, they will finish 8th. They will make it to the round of 16 in both Champion's League and the DFB Pokal.

Key Stretch: Match Days 1-4. Eintracht should pick up 7-9 points from this stretch, and will need it to kick the season off right.  Versus Bayern in Frankfort is a great test to start the season, and Eintracht have 3 very winnable games after that.  The Eagles need to 

Thanks again for reading,

#ForzaSGE

Brian