As the reigning champion, Bayer Leverkusen is expected to perform strongly, but they are facing tough competition, and their results have not been as impressive as last season.
After a last-minute win over Wolfsburg with a 4-3 scoreline, Leverkusen has since drawn twice—first against Bayern Munich in a 1-1 match, and then a more troubling 2-2 draw with Holstein Kiel just before the international break.
These two underwhelming performances have caused Xabi Alonso’s side to slip to 5th place in the league standings. On the brighter side, Bayer Leverkusen has made a solid start in the Champions League, securing two wins—4-0 against Feyenoord and 1-0 against AC Milan.
On the other side, Eintracht Frankfurt has also had an impressive start to the season. After securing 6th place last season, they are currently in 3rd place, just one point behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Undefeated since the first day, Hugo Ekitike and his teammates have recorded four straight victories, beating Hoffenheim 3-1, Wolfsburg 2-1, Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0, and Holstein Kiel 4-2.
They also managed to hold Bayern to a thrilling 3-3 draw. In the Europa League, Eintracht drew 3-3 with Viktoria Plzen but bounced back with a 3-1 win over Besiktas.
Xabi Alonso has the luxury of having a fully fit squad for this crucial match. Florian Wirtz (4 goals, 1 assist in the Bundesliga and 2 goals in the Champions League) is expected to play, alongside striker Boniface, who scored his fourth league goal in the last game.
Hofmann, who scored against Holstein Kiel, is likely to come off the bench again this time. Wingbacks Frimpong (1 goal, 1 assist) and Grimaldo (1 goal, 1 assist) should also start.
For Eintracht Frankfurt, young midfielder Oscar Hojlund is still unavailable. Midfielder Loune, defender Koch, and goalkeeper Kevin Trapp may also miss out, with Trapp’s participation uncertain after missing the Bayern match.
Despite this, Paris Saint-Germain loanee Hugo Ekitike (2 goals, 2 assists in the Bundesliga) and standout Egyptian forward Marmoush—who has racked up 8 goals and 4 assists in six games—will be key players. Marmoush comes into this game after scoring twice against Bayern.
Prediction
Both teams are struggling defensively, having conceded a combined 58 goals in 23 top-flight matches so far this season.
Six of the last seven Bayer Leverkusen home matches and ten of Eintracht Frankfurt’s previous 13 away games have featured three or more goals, so a high-scoring game is expected.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
