Frankfurt vs FC Cologne – News and Probable Lineups

With a new head coach in charge, FC Koln aims to steer clear of the Bundesliga relegation zone this Sunday as they visit Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park.

Die Adler are eager to recover from their last defeat, while the Billy Goats are seeking their first victory since January.

Match overview

Frankfurt secured a spot in the Champions League at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, but with only seven matches left in the top-flight schedule, Albert Riera’s team risks missing out on European competition altogether.

Currently, Die Adler sit seventh in the Bundesliga table, with a total of 38 points, placing them eight behind Bayer Leverkusen in sixth as they chase UEFA qualification.

Riera has undeniably enhanced Frankfurt’s performance since succeeding Dino Toppmoller, having only lost two matches during his brief tenure. Before his arrival, the club had suffered five defeats in six outings.

Nevertheless, the Spanish head coach has recorded just three wins from seven matches, with two draws, and following a disappointing 2-1 loss to Mainz 05 just prior to the international break, the club will be eager to regain some positive momentum this weekend.

For that reason, the hosts will take encouragement from Riera’s perfect home record at Deutsche Bank Park, where he has achieved three clean sheets in those victories, overcoming Borussia Monchengladbach 3-0, Freiburg 2-0, and Heidenheim 1-0 most recently.

On the other hand, Koln is aiming for a fresh beginning as they return to play after parting ways with Lukas Kwasniok, promoting his assistant, Rene Wagner, to interim head coach.

Wagner is perhaps most familiar to Bundesliga fans as the long-time assistant to Steffen Baumgart, having followed the current Union Berlin coach to SC Paderborn, Koln, Hamburg SV, and Die Eisernen over the years.

Returning to the Billy Goats ahead of the 2025-26 season, Wagner’s immediate responsibility will be to maintain the club’s top-flight status.

Kwasniok concluded his time with a 3-3 draw against Gladbach on March 21, which extended Koln’s winless streak to seven matches, a stretch that included four defeats, leaving Wagner’s side in 15th place, just two points above St Pauli in the relegation playoff position.

This Sunday, the visitors will hope to avoid falling into the bottom three, but having secured just one away victory since August (a commendable 1-0 win over Hoffenheim on October 3), it would be quite the surprise if the Billy Goats managed to win away from home.

Team News

Frankfurt will be without goalkeeper Kaua Santos and centre-back Nnamdi Collins for the remainder of the season due to knee and ankle injuries, respectively, along with right-back Rasmus Kristensen, who is nursing his own ankle problem.

In their absence, central defenders Aurele Amenda, Arthur Theate, and Robin Koch are expected to protect goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, with Ritsu Doan and Nathaniel Brown filling the flanks.

Further up the pitch, left winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya is sidelined with a thigh injury, while forwards Younes Ebnoutalib and Michy Batshuayi are uncertain after returning from extended injuries, although Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga and Jonathan Burkardt are likely to be fit to lead the line.

As for Koln, they are facing defensive challenges, missing centre-backs Timo Hubers (knee) and Luca Kilian (knee), while fellow defender Joel Schmied is a doubt due to a muscle injury, and versatile midfielder Eric Martel is suspended after a red card against Gladbach.

To address these issues, Wagner may choose Rav van den Berg and Cenk Ozkacar as his center-back pairing, with Isak Bergmann Johannesson and Tom Krauss anchoring the midfield just ahead of them while Denis Huseinbasic (hip) is also a doubt.

Additionally, the fitness of winger and wing-back option Alessio Castro-Montes is also uncertain, but Sebastian Sebulonsen and Kristoffer Lund are expected to start as full-backs, with Said El Mala and Jan Thielmann providing width in attack.

Eintracht Frankfurt probable starting XI:

Zetters; Amenda, Koch, Theate; Doan, Gotze, Larsson, Uzun, Brown; Kalimuendo, Burkardt

FC Koln probable starting XI:

Swabian; Sebulonsen, Van den Berg, Ozkacar, Lund; Johannesson, Krauss; Thielmann, Kaminski, El Mala; Oh

Although Frankfurt may be inconsistent, Riera’s flawless home record implies that they are likely to outmatch their relegation-threatened opponents this weekend.

Nonetheless, Koln might present a challenge with the ‘new manager bounce’, although it would be surprising if they were able to secure all three points come Sunday.