St. Tonis vs Frankfurt – News and Probable Lineups

In the opening round of the 2026-27 DFB-Pokal, Eintracht Frankfurt will make their way to SC St Tonis’s Grotenburg-Stadion this Friday.

Considering that the Bundesliga side is positioned four divisions above their rivals, Frankfurt are generally viewed as the favourites, even though the DFB-Pokal has a reputation for unexpected outcomes.

Match overview

St Tonis competes at the fifth tier of German football, with the Oberliga Niederrhein being the top division in the Lower Rhine Football Association.

Friday’s match will mark St Tonis’s debut in the DFB-Pokal, making it a significant occasion regardless of the result.

Head coach Bekim Kastrati has already guided his team once in the Oberliga Niederrhein, where they secured a 3-2 win over Spvg Solingen-Wald 03 on August 16.

However, the hosts have only managed one victory in their last seven competitive clashes, suffering defeat in three of those matches.

Eintracht Frankfurt will be hoping for a more stable 2026-27 season as their new head coach Adi Hutter becomes their third permanent manager since the previous season began.

Having finished eighth in the Bundesliga, Frankfurt did not qualify for European competition, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Albert Riera.

The Eagles lifted the DFB-Pokal trophy in 2017-18; however, they have been eliminated in the first round twice, the second round twice, and only progressed past the third round on two occasions since then.

This year, Hutter’s squad has yet to experience a competitive match but have enjoyed success in six out of eight friendlies during the summer, although they did suffer a heavy 7-0 defeat to Brentford on August 15.

In an alarming trend, Frankfurt only managed to record a single win in their last 13 competitive away encounters in the 2025-26 season, incurring seven losses along the way, conceding 29 goals while scoring 18.

Team News

St Tonis goalkeeper Tim Schrick will be hoping for his defenders Fumito Okihara, Armend Likaj, and Maximilian Pohlig to provide solid protection.

The trio of center-backs could be supported by a midfield that may feature Mohamed Benktib, Adonis Milaj, and Kohei Nakano.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s setback against Brentford was compounded by the early exit of central defender Robin Koch due to a concussion, leading to the expectation that Jeremiaha Maluze will step into the team.

Oscar Hojlund is anticipated to partner in midfield with Raphael Onyedika, while Can Uzun is likely to occupy a forward position.

Striker Jonathan Burkardt will be eager to begin the season strongly, though he may not last more than 45 minutes on the pitch.

SC St Tonis probable starting XI:

Schrick; Okihara, Likaj, Pohlig; Ogbeide, Benktib, Milaj, Nakano, Nikolaou; Rizzo, Kanu

Eintracht Frankfurt probable starting XI:

Kaua; Baum, Maluze, Otavio, Kosugi; Hojlund, Onyedika; Doan, Long, Ebnoutalib; Burkardt

Although Friday’s encounter will undoubtedly be a memorable event for St Tonis, it is unlikely that they will be pleased with the outcome.

The disparity in quality between the two clubs is significant, and Frankfurt fans should expect a relatively easy match at Grotenburg-Stadion.