Eintracht Frankfurt deserve more credit
While the unexpected emergence of Hoffenheim and the incredible rise of RB Leipzig has grabbed most of the attention, there is another Bundesliga club having an amazing season of their own.
A 1-0 victory over Schalke 04 saw Eintracht Frankfurt climb up into third place in the German top flight - the highest that they have been since November 2012. Should they hold the position until the end of the campaign, it would be their best league finish since 1992/93. Likewise, it would also earn them their first ever appearance in the UEFA Champions League next term.
Despite the fact that it took the club a relegation play-off to avoid the drop last season, finishing up in the top three appears to be a real possibility. They’re still some way off of matching high-flyers Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, who currently occupy first and second place respectively, but they can certainly fight off the threat of Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim.
For a side that were tipped for another relegation scrap this season, Frankfurt have performed exceptionally well. Defeats against struggling sides SV Darmstadt and Wolfsburg were disappointing, but they have proved that they can cut it against the very best with decent results against Dortmund and Hoffenheim.
Dortmund, on the other hand, have disappointed on numerous occasions so far. Their status and past successes undoubtedly make them favourites to snatch the last Champions League spot, but there will have to be huge improvements over the second half of the campaign.
Despite some decent results, such as their 1-0 victory over Bayern back in November, Dortmund’s form has been largely inconsistent, with draws often following their better performances. They were unable to overcome Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, in two games that could have altered the current standings, and those dropped points could prove to be their downfall come May.
Although, Frankfurt have been far from dominant week in, week out, either. They have won just two of their last six matches, which says a lot about the form of their rivals, given that they are currently on top.
In fact, results have been somewhat disappointing from Niko Kovac. They have only scored more than two goals on just three occasions this term, while six of their nine wins have been by a one goal margin. Likewise, the club’s top goalscorer is Alexander Meier, who has just five goals to his name in the Bundesliga. These statistics are hardly a convincing read, yet out of Frankfurt, Hoffenheim and Dortmund, Kovac’s side are the ones that are picking up points.
Goals win games, and Frankfurt are proving that you don’t need many to put points on the board. Aside from their recent blip, they have been getting the job done most weeks, albeit by small margins, which is more than Dortmund are doing at the moment.
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