Preview: Matters in our own hands

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Eintracht Frankfurt

·7 maggio 2025

Preview: Matters in our own hands

Eintracht can confirm a spot in next season’s Champions League with a home win over St. Pauli.

How things stand

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Eintracht will welcome FC St. Pauli to Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday 11 May for the teams’ Bundesliga Matchday 33 assignment (kick-off 17:30 CEST). Victory for the Eagles in their final home game of the season would confirm their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Dino Toppmöller’s side are currently five points ahead of Borussia Dortmund in fifth. Only once in Bundesliga history has such a lead been thrown away at this stage of a campaign, when VfB Stuttgart did so in 2004/05.

Eintracht’s recent form at Deutsche Bank Park does not suggest that will happen, given that they have won each of their last three home outings without conceding a goal. Incidentally, the last time Eintracht recorded four consecutive clean sheets at home was in 1978; they have never won four successive home games without conceding.

If the Eagles do collect all three points, it would be their longest such home sequence under Toppmöller, simultaneously securing Eintracht a Champions League spot via their Bundesliga placing for the first time ever.

Permutations for Champions League qualification

Here’s how Eintracht can secure a top-four finish on the penultimate matchday of the season.

If Eintracht win …

... they are guaranteed automatic Champions League qualification.

If Eintracht draw…

…they will qualify if Freiburg don’t beat Kiel or if Dortmund don’t win in Leverkusen.

If Eintracht lose…

… they will qualify if Freiburg lose and Leipzig don’t win in Bremen.
... they will qualify if Freiburg lose and Dortmund don’t win.
... they will qualify if both Dortmund and Leipzig fail to win.

“We’re absolutely determined to qualify for the Champions League,” said Rasmus Kristensen. “Now we’ve got matters in our own hands in our own stadium. We’re looking forward to this opportunity and want to get everything wrapped up.”

Looking back

Eintracht earned a 1-0 win at St. Pauli in the reverse fixture in January to enjoy a successful first outing in 2025. That was the 21st competitive meeting between these teams, marking the Eagles’ ninth victory in the fixture. There have also been seven draws and five wins for Pauli, who are currently five points above the relegation play-off spot.

Furthermore, the Eagles are unbeaten on home turf against the Hamburg-based club, winning three and drawing three. Here’s to that positive run of results continuing on Sunday!