Preview: Goals the only guarantee | OneFootball

Frankfurt’s away matches at Leverkusen have rarely been worth the trip, but Bayer 04 are virtually unrecognisable in terms of personnel. Two Eintracht players in particular know how to deal with the Werkself.

Backdrop

Matchday 3, the first after the international break, takes the Eagles to Leverkusen on Friday evening. At this early stage of the season, Bayer 04 are, in a sense, the anthesis of Eintracht, not just in terms of results. While the Hessians have started the Bundesliga campaign strongly with six points, Bayer 04 have registered a 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen – the two clubs Eintracht beat in reverse order.

However, to deduce from that that the Eagles will make it three out of three would be a naïve assessment to say the least, as they’ve returned empty-handed from their last 10 visits to the BayArena, plus a defeat in the DFB Cup.

On the other hand, Frankfurt are unbeaten in eight league games going back to last season and have a settled team. Three notable departures have been offset by three reinforcements, as board member for sport Markus Krösche highlighted at the start of the week: “The teamwork is there, and the players and coaching staff know each other really well. The players know what Dino Toppmöller and his coaching staff expect from them.“

In contrast, the 2024 German double winners underwent a complete transformation over the summer, with no fewer than 16 new signings. And they’re already on their second coach since Xabi Alonso left for Real Madrid at the end of last season. Erik ten Hag had to pack his bags, with Kasper Hjulmand replacing him and returning to the Bundesliga over a decade after his stint with 1. FSV Mainz 05.

Looking back: Danger ahead

Experience shows that facing revamped opponents who have quickly pressed the reset button can be both a blessing and a curse for the analysis and coaching team. Although the Eagles are stepping into unknown territory, so to speak, one thing appears to be guaranteed: goals, goals, goals. In the 80 meetings between these two sides in Germany’s top flight, there has never been a 0-0 draw.

Patrik Schick, with five goals against Eintracht, and Ritsu Doan, with three goals against Bayer 04, have posed the greatest threat to their respective opponents. One man who’ll be looking to keep the ball out of the net is Michael Zetterer, who has settled in no time at all after his move to the Main, playing in the first two league games and being powerless to prevent the only two goals conceded.

Zetti knows how

The 30-year-old goalkeeper is still looking for his first clean sheet but he’s already achieved this at Leverkusen before, and is therefore one step ahead of most of the players in front of him when it comes to getting three points on the Rhine. Zetterer won 2-0 at Bayer last season with Werder, making four saves. Eintracht celebrated their birthday on the same day – on 8 March 2025. Whether 12 September will live long in the memory will, as ever, be decided on the pitch.