Eintracht Frankfurt – Union Berlin: Union Come Crashing Down (2-0)

Eintracht Frankfurt’s season has been inconsistent so far, but they secured three valuable points against high-flying Union Berlin. Goals from Mario Götze and Jesper Lindstrøm in the first half proved to be vital after an eventful second half.

Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan.

Union Berlin is a club who are currently attracting attention for all the right reasons. Top of the league after seven games, a fourteen game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, and a model based on long-term sustainability, the team from the German capital is consistently punching above their weight. Progress is one word the Union faithful can relate to, as they have been on the rise ever since they arrived in the top flight back in 2019. 

Their opponents, Eintracht Frankfurt, are themselves a strong contender for European places, sitting seventh in the table. Manager Oliver Glasner led them to a historic Europa League triumph last season, but his side made a slow start to the new campaign. However, they have bounced back, winning three of their last four games, including a maiden Champions League win against Marseille.

Glasner has chopped and changed his formation throughout the season. This time he elected for a 3-4-3 shape with Kevin Trapp between the sticks. Tuta, Makoto Hasebe, and Evan Ndicka started as center-backs, with Ansgar Knauff and Luca Pellegrini, who returned from injury, providing the width from the wing-back position. Sebastian Rode and Daichi Kamada played in a midfield two, with Jesper Lindstrøm operating in a front three next to Mario Götze and Randal Kolo Muani.

Urs Fischer, meanwhile has always preferred minimal changes . . .