Eintracht Frankfurt’s Toppmöller Aims to "Show Bayern Munich Their Foreheads"
Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmöller has expressed both excitement and defiance ahead of his team’s upcoming challenges. The German tactician’s side will face a daunting test against Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League Round of 16, while also preparing for a top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash with league leaders Bayern Munich.
Kampfansage an Bayern München
Toppmöller is adamant that his team will not shy away from the challenge posed by Bayern Munich on Sunday. "We will show Bayern Munich our foreheads and travel there with a lot of self-confidence," Toppmöller declared before the highly anticipated match.
Despite acknowledging the "extreme force" that awaits his team at the Allianz Arena, Toppmöller emphasized their impressive third-place standing in the Bundesliga standings. "We know that we need to perform at our absolute best. But we showed in the first half of the season that we have the weapons to hurt them," the 44-year-old coach asserted.
In the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Frankfurt displayed a resilient defensive performance and clinical counter-attacking display to earn a 3-3 draw against the dominant league leaders. Toppmöller aims to replicate that success on Sunday.
"The key will be to have a good plan, play at the top of our game, have a bit of luck, and display a high level of frustration tolerance against a dominant team. We need to overcome those phases in the game that are not so enjoyable," Toppmöller explained.
However, Eintracht will be without key defender Robin Koch for the match. The 28-year-old German international is still recovering from a shoulder injury and will not be fit to play. "Robin will not be available for us," Toppmöller confirmed. Koch has missed Frankfurt’s last two matches due to the injury.
Additionally, the Eagles are assessing the fitness of midfielder Mario Götze. "He was sick yesterday and today and will have to decide tomorrow how he feels," Toppmöller said. Should the 2014 World Cup winner be ruled out, it would be "a pity because Mario is currently in excellent form, provides great stability to the team, and can positively influence our possession statistics," said the Eintracht coach. Toppmöller stressed that Götze will need to be 100% fit to play.
Despite Bayern’s recent underwhelming performances, Toppmöller does not believe they are in a crisis. "I don’t see a difficult phase for Bayern at the moment. They are still the clear leaders and have advanced in the Champions League," he said, acknowledging the Bavarian giants’ status as favorites.
Europa League Excitement
The match against Bayern Munich marks the beginning of a special period for Eintracht Frankfurt. The defending Europa League champions will host Bayer Leverkusen before their eagerly anticipated Europa League clashes with Ajax Amsterdam on March 6th and 13th.
"We are all looking forward to two great and peaceful matches. It’s an iconic fixture for our fans against a team that plays very good football. It will be exciting," Toppmöller commented on the Ajax draw.
Should Frankfurt overcome the challenge of Ajax, they would face the winner of the tie between Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals. The Eagles would have the advantage of playing the second leg at home even in the last eight. The Europa League final will be held in Bilbao on May 21st.
Tricky Ajax Test
Ajax Amsterdam present a formidable obstacle for Eintracht Frankfurt. The Eredivisie leaders have won the Dutch championship 36 times and are one of only five clubs to have won the European Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
