Group D’s second-placed Marseille will be looking to press home their advantage, as they look to bolster their qualifying chances, by beating bottom-of-the-group Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday when the two sides clash in this crucial fixture at the Deutsche Bank Park, with kick-off slated for 20:00 GMT.
Match Preview
Can Eintracht Leapfrog Marseille with a Win on Wednesday?
Although they are at the bottom of Group D, Oliver Glasner and his charges still have a chance of qualifying from the group with two matches remaining. With 4 points, they can leapfrog Marseille with a win at the Deutsche Bank Park.
Glasner’s focus will be on the discipline and energy of his side’s performance on Wednesday. They will need a very good performance to subdue a good and confident Marseille side.
Glasner will also seek to ensure that his men are not only hard to beat but also difficult to score against. They will need a defensive platform upon which to base their performance. Therefore, they will focus on compactness in a pragmatic tactical plan.
Can Marseille make it Three Consecutive Wins in Group D to bolster their Qualification Hopes?
Igor Tudor and his side will be looking to press home the advantage gained from the two wins in the doubleheader against Sporting, with the French side winning both legs with an aggregate scoreline of 6-1.
Tudor will focus on his side’s discipline and dynamism in their performance against an organized Eintracht side.
Marseille will also seek to play on the front foot as they seek to seal qualification with a win on Wednesday. A balanced performance based on solidity but also dynamic in attack will be important for Tudor and his charges.
Form Guide
Eintracht
Glasner’s side lost matchday 1 in a 0-3 hammering away to Sporting. They bounced back to win matchday 2 with an impressive 0-1 triumph away to their Wednesday opponents Marseille.
Eintracht held Tottenham to a 0-0 stalemate in matchday 3 before losing in the return fixture (matchday 4) in London 3-2.
Overall, Eintracht have won once, drawn once, and lost twice. They have hauled 4 points and currently sit at the bottom of Group D. They have scored three times in four fixtures while conceding six times.
Glasner will focus on bolstering his side’s attack to ensure that they can trouble Marseille’s rearguard.
Marseille
Igor Tudor’s charges opened their Group D campaign with a 2-0 away loss against Tottenham; this finished this match a man down after Mbemba Mangulu was sent off in the 47th minute.
They also lost on matchday 2 in a 0-1 scoreline against Eintracht Frankfurt. Tudor’s side then won two consecutive matches in matchday 3 and 4 against Sporting (4-1) at home and (0-2) away in Portugal.
In Group D, Marseille have won twice times and lost twice in their four outings. Tudor’s men have scored six goals while conceding 4 times; they have hauled 6 points and currently sit second in the group table.
Possible Starting Lineups
Eintracht
K. Trapp; E. Ndicka, K. Jakic, Tuta; C. Lenz, D. Sow, D. Kamada, E. J. Dina Ebimbe; M. Gotze, J. Lindstrom; R. Kolo Muani
Marseille
P. Lopez; C. Mbemba, L. Balerdi, S. Kolasinac; J. Clauss, V. Rongier, J. Veretout, N. Tavares; M. Guendouzi, A. Harit; A. Sanchez
Players to Watch
R. Kolo Muani
The 23-year-old Frenchman has scored three goals in nine appearances in the Bundesliga this season. He has also scored in the DFB-Pokal two appearances.
The forward’s pace and tenacity have been important tools for Eintracht this season. He offers them penetration, a goal threat, and a physical presence up front.
Muani will be crucial for Eintracht as they seek to beat Marseille on Wednesday and bolster their qualifying chances.
A. Sanchez
The experienced 33-year-old Chilean has started life in Ligue 1 well with 4 goals in 10 matches for Marseille. Sanchez has also grabbed two goals in the 3 appearances he has made for Marseille this season.
The Chilean offers leadership upfront and allows Marseille to press from the front. His work rate is important in driving the team forward. He also offers creativity and a goal threat, which will be important on Wednesday.
Prediction
Eintracht will focus on driving forward and putting Marseille under pressure. They will look for a fast start characterized by the dominance of the ball and territory.
Marseille will look to be compact in defence and use their pace in attack to pose a threat.
Eintracht will win the match and take three invaluable points.
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