Preview: Dortmund first up | OneFootball

Eintracht and Borussia kick off a new year of Bundesliga action on Friday evening. The first of seven games for the Eagles in January is set to be a tough one for several reasons.

The backdrop

It’s not uncommon for certain phones to buzz more frequently in January as the winter transfer window gets under way, but you’d be very surprised to hear them go off all at once. However, that’s exactly what happened at Borussia Dortmund’s training camp in Marbella on Sunday, when authorities sent an emergency alert to people’s phones warning about severe weather in the area – and forcing BVB to change their plans.

Other than that, though, things have been going swimmingly for Eintracht Frankfurt’s upcoming opponents, who not only sit second in the Bundesliga table after 15 matchdays but have lost only one of their last 23 league encounters stretching back to last term – a 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on Matchday 7. Bayern themselves are the only side in Europe’s top five divisions to have suffered fewer defeats (none) in that timeframe, while BVB’s current haul of 32 points is their best tally at this stage of a campaign in seven years.

Eintracht have not been quite as impressive, but a run of only one defeat in nine league matches has left the Eagles in seventh place – and within touching distance of the teams above them – as the season resumes.

Room for improvement in defence

Both sides have plenty of threats in attack, with Bayern the only other Bundesliga side to boast 13 different goalscorers this term. Eintracht, however, have conceded 30 goals so far, compared to BVB’s tally of 12. 

Dortmund needed penalties to get the better of Eintracht in the second round of the DFB Cup, winning 4-2 in the shootout following a 1-1 draw. Seventy-three days later, the Eagles have an opportunity to get their revenge and send phones into overdrive again – with goal notifications, that is.

Looking back: Eintracht often start strongly

There is plenty of cause for optimism ahead of Friday’s clash at Deutsche Bank Park, which gets under way at 20:30 CET. Eintracht have won six of their last seven games at the beginning of a calendar year, although their only defeat during that span was a 3-2 reverse against Dortmund back on 8 January 2022.

Four new faces

One man who featured regularly on Friday evenings in Bundesliga 2 during the first half of the campaign is Younes Ebnoutalib. The winter signing from SV Elversberg is one of four new arrivals at Eintracht along with Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Love Arrhov and Keita Kosugi. Frankfurt native Ebnoutalib is particularly excited at the prospect of making his debut for the club, as he revealed at his official unveiling on Monday afternoon.

Borussia, by contrast, have been fairly quiet on the transfer front so far. Pascal Groß has returned to Brighton & Hove Albion, while Cole Campbell has joined TSG Hoffenheim on loan.