Matchday in focus: VfB good going forward, vulnerable in defence

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Eintracht Frankfurt

·10 November 2024

Matchday in focus: VfB good going forward, vulnerable in defence

Stuttgart and Eintracht are equally good at creating clear-cut chances, but the Eagles are better at converting them.

Tactics

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VfB Stuttgart are tactically adaptable and often switch between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 formation. Alexander Nübel is first choice in goal, while Jeff Chabot, Anrie Chase, Josha Vagnoman, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Anthony Rouault all vie for places in defence.

They have a solid core in midfield, led by captain Atakan Karazor and supported by Angelo Stiller, Enzo Millot and Fabian Rieder. Together with El Bilal Touré, top scorer Deniz Undav usually leads the line in attack, although the latter is doubtful with an injury. Should he miss out, Ermedin Demirovic provides a physically robust and aerially dominant alternative.

However, VfB haven been vulnerable at the back this season and have already conceded 16 goals – 11 of which have come in the second halves of their games.

Nevertheless, they are a formidable side on their own patch and have only lost one of their last 25 Bundesliga home fixtures under Sebastian Hoeneß.

Absentees

Eintracht will again be without injured duo Oscar Højlund and Rasmus Kristensen on Sunday. For VfB, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Jamie Leweling and Luca Raimund are all sidelined, the latter duo with thigh complaints, while a late decision will be made on Undav.

One to watch: Chris Führich

The current season has not really gone to plan for Chris Führich after featuring for Germany at the 2024 European Championship on home turf. A muscle tear and a loss of form have resulted in him losing his place in the starting line-up, but the recent injury to Leweling offers him a way back. Führich...

… made his Bundesliga debut in December 2017 for 1. FC Köln against Bayern Munich.
… has seven senior international caps for Germany and participated at Euro 2024.
… won the Bundesliga 2 title with Köln in 2018/19 as the Billy Goats were promoted back to the Bundesliga.
… has made 100 Bundesliga appearances for VfB, scoring 16 times.
… registered eight goals and seven assists last season.
… has scored one goal in 13 appearances for Stuttgart in 2024/25.

Facts and figures

After last week's goal glut, the Eagles now have six scorers this season aged 22 or under. Only Racing Strasbourg (nine) and Brighton & Hove Albion (seven) have more across Europe's top five leagues.

Bayern Munich aside, Eintracht (32) and Stuttgart (31) have created more clear-cut chances than any other Bundesliga team.