Eagles travel to Cologne

Five days after the DFB Cup win over Hesse rivals SV Darmstadt 98, the Eagles turn their attention back to the Bundesliga when they take on 1. FC Köln on the road. The Matchday 20 clash at the RheinEnergieSTADION kicks off at 17:30 CET on Sunday 12 February.

The Billy Goats currently occupy 11th place in the table after three successive draws against Bayern Munich, Schalke and Leipzig. Like Eintracht, coach Steffen Baumgart’s team are still unbeaten in 2023, but that run will be put to the test this weekend.

Ruthless efficiency

Köln have developed a ruthless streak in front of goal since the turn of the year. Despite managing only eight shots on target in their past four matches, they have found the net from seven of them. Eintracht’s record in that department is only marginally less impressive, with eight of their ten attempts on goal beating the opposition goalkeeper. Indeed, only Köln have been more efficient in front of goal this year.

The Rhinelanders also boast an impressive record against the Eagles on home soil. Since 2000, they have registered more points from home meetings with Eintracht than with any other side.

Nevertheless, Oliver Glasner and his players travel to Cologne with plenty confidence. Not only are they unbeaten in the Bundesliga since November last year, they are also undefeated in their past five games away from Deutsche Bank Park. “We’re ready for Köln,” Rafael Borré said after the victory over Darmstadt. “It’ll be a tough game. We’ll try and manage the game our way again. That way we can hold our own against any opponents.”

The Eagles also currently have the second-best attack in the Bundesliga, with only league leaders Bayern finding the net more frequently than Glasner’s team. SGE have scored 40 goals from their 19 league encounters so far – their best record at this stage of a campaign since the turn of the millennium.