A total of 39 points from 23 games is Eintracht’s best tally at this stage of the season for 25 years, yet head coach Niko Kovac and his side are in no mood to let up. On Saturday, the Eagles travel to Stuttgart, who currently sit 13th in the Bundesliga standings, but have picked up seven points in the three matches since Tayfun Korkut took charge.
Two of the league’s best defences
They might be at opposite ends of the table, but one thing these two great clubs share this season is a disciplined defence. Only Bayern Munich (18) have conceded fewer goals than Eintracht (26) and VfB (27). The main difference between the two sides, however, is their effectiveness at the other end: the Eagles have scored 13 more goals than the Swabians (19) and have converted 59 per cent of their clear-cut chances, making them the most clinical team in the Bundesliga.
Kovac’s charges won the reverse fixture at the Commerzbank-Arena 2-1 courtesy of Sebastien Haller’s magnificent, injury-time scissor kick, a victory that came in spite of Simon Falette's second-half dismissal. The Eagles have good memories of their last visit to Stuttgart, too: a 4-1 triumph in August 2015 was their highest away win at VfB.
Milestones for Chandler and Rebic
Timothy Chandler has re-established himself in the side at left wing-back since the winter break, with the industrious Ante Rebic usually lining up in front of him in attacking midfield. Chandler is set for his 100th Eintracht appearance on Saturday, and Rebic for his 50th. The pair played a big part in Monday’s victory against Leipzig, with Chandler scoring the equaliser and Rebic expertly creating Kevin-Prince Boateng's winner. It was Frankfurt-born Chandler’s second goal in his last eight top-flight outings, while he has also set up four in that time – an impressive return for a defender and a new personal record for the USA international.
Match info
Kick-off: Saturday 24 February 2017, 15:30 CET, Matchday 24, 2017/18 season
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart
Press conference on Twitter
Follow the latest news ahead of the game in Kovac's press conference on our English Twitter account on Friday from 13:00 CET.
