René Wagner, the recently appointed interim head coach for 1. FC Köln, faces the critical challenge of guiding his squad away from the relegation zone as they prepare to face Eintracht Frankfurt this Sunday at Deutsche Bank Park.
Following Bayer Leverkusen’s dominant 6-3 win against Wolfsburg yesterday, Albert Riera’s Eintracht Frankfurt side now finds itself 11 points adrift of a coveted top-six spot. With only 21 points left to play for this season, securing European competition for next year appears increasingly difficult, even with a game in hand. Die Adler’s recent form saw them suffer a disappointing 3-1 loss to Mainz, where a double from Paul Nebel secured a vital win for Mainz and dashed Eintracht’s hopes of boosting their European aspirations.
Riera will have to contend with several key absences, as goalkeeper Kauã Santos and center-back Nnamdi Collins are sidelined with knee and ankle injuries, respectively. Rasmus Kristensen is also unavailable for the upcoming match. Upfront, the attacking duo of Jonathan Burkardt and Arnaud Kalimuendo is expected to spearhead the offense.
Meanwhile, Köln will play their inaugural match under new head coach Wagner, who gained recognition as a long-serving assistant manager to Steffen Baumgart in the Bundesliga. The previous coach, Lukas Kwasniok, concluded his time at the club with a 3-3 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach before the international break. With only seven fixtures remaining, The Billy Goats are precariously positioned, sitting just two points above the relegation playoff spot and five points clear of automatic relegation. Köln’s clash with Eintracht will occur simultaneously with St. Pauli’s game against Union Berlin, meaning the outcomes of both matches will significantly impact their league standing.
Köln will also be missing several players, with Timo Hübers, Luca Kilian, and Joël Schmied all ruled out of the encounter. Eric Martel is unavailable due to suspension. In midfield, Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson and Tom Krauß are expected to form the central pairing.
Predicted Lineups for Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Köln
Eintracht Frankfurt: Zetterer – Amenda, R. Koch, Theate – Doan, Larsson, Brown – M. Götze, Uzun – Kalimuendo, Burkardt.
Köln: Schwäbe – Sebulonsen, van den Berg, Özkacar, Lund – Krauß, Jóhannesson – Thielmann, Kamiński, S. El Mala – Ache.
