Eintracht Frankfurt is likely to put in a strong effort in this competition, especially in front of their home fans. Despite a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in their opening Bundesliga match at Signal Iduna Park, Frankfurt quickly bounced back with a 3-1 win over Hoffenheim and a 2-1 victory away at Wolfsburg.
Last weekend, Hugo Ekitike and his teammates were looking to secure a third consecutive league win as they faced Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, their opponents, Plzen, should not be underestimated.
While Plzen may not be as widely recognized, the Czech team has been in impressive form, going unbeaten since May 22 when they lost the MOL Cup final to Sparta Prague.
Since then, they have played 11 matches, winning eight and drawing three. In the qualification stages, Plzen knocked out Kryvbas from Ukraine (winning 2-1 in the first leg and 1-0 in the return) and the Scottish Hearts (with 2-0 wins in both legs).
Unfortunately for Frankfurt, midfielder Oscar Hojlund, who joined from Copenhagen this summer, is injured and expected to miss this European clash. Other key players like Hungarian star Lisztes (who scored eight goals for Ferencvaros last season), and midfielders Loune and Wenig (out since January) are also unavailable.
On a brighter note, Hugo Ekitike (with 1 goal and 2 assists in the Bundesliga), German World Cup winner Mario Götze, Marmoush (who has scored 3 goals and provided 1 assist this season), and Belgian international Theate (formerly of Rennes) are expected to be available for the game. However, several other players, including Souaré, Durosimni, Baier, Sykoro, and newcomer Kabongo, are doubtful or unlikely to feature.
For Plzen, Czech international Sulc (with 3 goals and 1 assist in the league) is set to play, along with Jirka (2 league goals) and midfielder Cadu (1 goal and 2 assists).
Prediction
Eintracht Frankfurt’s recent home record in the Europa League has been poor, with the team losing 14 matches in the competition. This could be an advantage for Plzen, who have won four of their last five away games at this level.
Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-3 Plzen
