Oliver Glasner doesn’t want to know anything about a return to the Europa League.
“Please ask this question in Lisbon. Now there is only one goal and that is to win in Lisbon,” emphasized the Eintracht Frankfurt coach after the 2-1 (2-1) win in the Champions League against Olympique Marseille. “Anything is possible, from first to fourth place.”
In the Group D final next Tuesday, the Europa League winners would certainly move into the round of 16 of the premier class with a win at Sporting Lisbon. In the event of a defeat or a draw in Portugal, there is a risk of the complete end, and if third place is also possible, the Hessians would return to the competition in which they triumphed on May 18th.
“We wanted a final”
“We wanted a final and now we’re looking forward to it,” said Frankfurt’s midfield strategist Mario Götze, for whom a special game against his ex-club Borussia Dortmund is scheduled for Saturday (6:30 p.m. / Sky).
“I spent my youth in Dortmund, played there for many years and had a lot of good moments. It will be a huge game,” said the 30-year-old, who played for BVB from 2009 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2020. After his strong performance against Marseille, Götze was named “Man of the Match” and once again recommended himself as a candidate for the World Cup in Qatar in front of national coach Hansi Flick as a guest on the grandstand.
The Bundesliga duel is also a special challenge for Glasner. “It’s my fourth season in Germany and I haven’t scored a point against BVB yet,” said the Austrian. “It’s a personal goal and my boys will experience that.” With a win, the Hessians would at least keep fifth place in the league from Westphalia from fourth place in the Champions League.
The Frankfurters are currently capable of everything – including a successful double strike against BVB and Sporting. “We’re on the same wave at the moment. We enjoy playing in attack and are very efficient,” said Swiss national player Djibril Sow in light of a winning streak of four wins in eleven days at a high level.
To a new level under Glasner
Under Glasner’s direction, the Frankfurters seem to have reached a new level and a previously unheard-of cohesion in the team. Unity is unity. “It was a great team effort. I’m proud to be the coach of such a strong group,” he said after the first home win in the Champions League.
The personnel situation is anything but good. Again and again the coach had to regroup the defensive line after the absence of Makoto Hasebe and Almany Touré as well as Tuta, who was suspended against Olympique. Glasner proved to be a courageous improvisation artist. Against the snappy French, he made the Croatian Hrvoje Smolcic (22) the chief of defense for the first time. “It works because everyone puts themselves at the service of the team. The level of dedication they support each other is unbelievable,” praised Glasner, who, however, has a new problem to solve: Outfielder Christopher Lenz is out for an indefinite period, he drew one Fascial injury in the thigh.
“Our mentality is remarkable. Everyone tears themselves up for the team,” said Frankfurt striker high-flyer Randal Kolo Muani. The French made it 2-0 (27th) after Daichi Kamada had taken the lead (3rd minute). Matteo Guendouzi scored the equalizer (22nd). “It was a huge fight. It was an extraordinary evening,” said Eintracht sports director Markus Krösche, impressed.
