Preview: Killer instinct needed in Stuttgart

The backdrop

Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart both have European qualification in their sights as the 2023/24 Bundesliga season enters the home straight, albeit for different continental competitions.

Stuttgart’s 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund last weekend helped them cement third place in the standings and edged them closer to UEFA Champions League qualification. Eintracht, meanwhile, are determined to use their remaining six Bundesliga fixtures to seal a spot in Europe for a fourth successive year.

The next opportunity for the teams to take another next step towards achieving their respective objectives arrives on Saturday 13 April (kick-off 18:30 CEST) at the MHPArena, where the Eagles are unbeaten in their last five visits in all competitions, winning four and drawing one. VfB won the reverse fixture 2-1 in Frankfurt earlier this season.

That is one of six league defeats Dino Toppmöller’s side have suffered this term – exactly the same amount as VfB. The difference between the teams in terms of their league positions is the fact that Eintracht have drawn 12 times, a tally higher than any other club. And it is a bone of contention in Frankfurt.

“We’ve only lost six times, but we’ve drawn 12 of our games, which is too much,” said board member for sport Markus Krösche following the 1-1 stalemate against Werder Bremen at Deutsche Bank Park. “We have to develop a killer instinct and win those kind of games.”

Two forwards, 39 goals

With 15 goals and seven assists in the current campaign, Deniz Undav has played a significant role in VfB enjoying their best-ever season to date, with 60 points on the board after 28 matches.

Speaking of club records, Undav’s strike partner, Serhou Guirassy, has found the net 24 times so far in 2023/24, equalling the best-ever VfB benchmark set by Mario Gomez back in 2008/09.

Apart from the 1-1 draw against Köln on Matchday 23, at least one of the two attackers has scored in each of Stuttgart’s last ten Bundesliga outings, helping them amass their current ten-game unbeaten sequence.

High time, then, for that run to come to an end.