The out-of-form Eintracht would like to celebrate a conciliatory end to the year

It has long been common practice in international soccer for linesmen not to raise their flags even in clear offside situations, but to first allow the situation to play out and then indicate the offside position. This approach has led to fierce criticism, especially from coaches, as the likelihood of possible injuries is significantly increased by playing out such dicey attacks. Dino Toppmöller, coach of Frankfurt Eintracht, can tell you a thing or two about this, as his defensive boss Robin Koch was injured in just such a situation at the weekend and is now at risk of missing the last competitive match of the 2023 calendar year

A decision will probably be made at short notice as to whether the central defender, who has played his way back into the national team thanks to good performances, will be able to play on Wednesday evening. If Koch is indeed unavailable, this would also worsen the chances of a positive end to the year

It almost seems as if the 5:1 win from the last home game against FC Bayern is still omnipresent among the betting providers. However, the fact that it was the only SGE three-pointer in the review of the last seven must-win games may even go a little under the radar. With regard to the Frankfurt vs. Gladbach prediction, it must also be taken into account that the foals have only lost one of their last nine BL games in the Main metropolis.

Frankfurt – Statistics & current form

While it would be a little presumptuous to say that the assessment of an entire first half of the season depends on the last Bundesliga match before Christmas, the final home match against Borussia Mönchengladbach is certainly significant in the eyes of the SGE managers. Should the odds on a three-pointer for the hosts in the Frankfurt v Gladbach encounter prove to be true, the team would have 24 points and perhaps even sixth place in the interim rankings. A defeat, on the other hand, would mean that the eagles would have to leave their direct rivals in the international ranks behind. In addition, the embarrassing cup exit against Saarbrücken and the “cheating” in one of the weakest Conference League groups would certainly be weighted differently in the half-season analysis.

If we look at the last results, it is quite risky to bet on Eintracht. They have lost six of their last seven competitive matches. Only the magnificent 5:1 win at home against Bayern improves this very disappointing record. Defensively in particular, the Hessians have clearly let up. While concentrated work against the ball and compactness in possession were still the great assets of the newly formed team at the start, they have conceded ten goals in their last five Bundesliga games. Across all competitions, they have conceded two or more goals in seven of their last eight matches

Frankfurt want to go into the winter with a positive feeling

No matter how many points the Black & Red & Whites take into the winter break, a lot will happen on the transfer market. Donny van de Beek, a well-known new signing, is virtually certain, and the striker position will also be improved. Coach Dino Toppmöller still has the full backing and, above all, the alibi on his side that he is in a transitional year after the XXL upheaval. However, the mood in the German financial metropolis could change abruptly, especially if the complicated task in the Conference League against Royale Union SG is not mastered in the spring.

In the meantime, the SGE will be looking to their own home strength for Wednesday evening’s game. Eintracht have lost just one of their last 17 home league games this season (nine wins, seven draws). This means they have only lost one home game in the entire 2023 calendar year – a record shared with FC Bayern.

It should also be mentioned that there has been plenty of spectacle in the most recent home matches involving the Hessians. 13 goals have been scored in the last three games at Deutsche Bank Park. Both teams have always scored. This is one of the reasons why we tend to predict over-goals and/or goals for both sides in the Frankfurt v Gladbach clash. The expected return of Skhiri to the starting line-up and the probable comeback of top scorer Marmoush, who has missed two consecutive games through injury/suspension, also give us hope.

Predicted Frankfurt line-up:

Gladbach – Statistics & current form

There is no doubt that Rocco Reitz is Borussia Mönchengladbach’s high-flyer this first half of the season. The 21-year-old, who was loaned out to St. Truiden in Belgium last season, immediately found his role under new coach Gerardo Seoane, has been leading the way since day one and has even made his debut for the German U21 national team thanks to his great performances. The previous week, the center-back scored his first Bundesliga brace in the 2:2 draw against Werder Bremen to become the match winner. Reitz already has a total of four goals for the season, making him the top scorer behind Pléa

However, Reitz’s presence has not helped the Foals to get a grip on their defense. With 33 goals conceded, the team from the Lower Rhine still has the second weakest defensive line in the league. Only in the 4-0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg did keeper Nicholas, who is also under criticism, keep his clean sheet. In no fewer than six of the seven away games, the respective opponents managed to put the ball in the BMG net three or more times. Unsurprisingly, this catastrophic statistic also leads to sobering numbers away from home

Gladbach spread no fear away from home

Borussia have picked up six points from seven away games so far. One win contrasts with three draws and three defeats. 21 goals conceded in this period correspond to an average of exactly three goals per away game. However, Honorat and Co. have also scored in all of their games away from home. The bottom line is that no other team scored more goals in away games than the Foals. The total was 38, an average of over five! The odds on a high-scoring clash between Frankfurt and Gladbach are therefore very promising

However, if the corresponding odds are too low, you can also speculate that the Rhinelanders will not win in Frankfurt’s Stadtwald. On the one hand, Mönchengladbach have just one win (six draws, eight defeats) in their last 15 (!) away matches in the Bundesliga this season. On the other hand, the Foals have not won their last game in the German top flight in a calendar year since 2003 (!).

It is also conceivable that both teams will score in the first round. The mobile Bwin sports betting app offers an impressive 3.60 for this. Only Leverkusen and Bayern have scored more goals in the first 45 minutes than Gladbach, who also had to concede the most goals before the break behind FC Augsburg.

Predicted Gladbach line-up:

Frankfurt – Gladbach Direct comparison / H2H result

For the 99th time, the two long-standing first division clubs will face each other on Wednesday evening in Germany’s best soccer league. With 36 wins compared to 29 draws and 33 defeats, Eintracht has a narrow lead. The SGE celebrated 22 of these 36 victories in front of their own fans. In recent years, however, the Hessians have found it surprisingly difficult to beat the colts at home. Eintracht have only won one of their last nine home matches against the team from the Lower Rhine. Six of these nine direct duels ended in draws. Gladbach have now not lost in five games in the Main metropolis (one win, four draws)

Frankfurt – Gladbach betting tip

The second-youngest team in the Bundesliga on average from the financial metropolis meets the third-youngest team from the Lower Rhine. Two very inconsistent opponents want to celebrate a conciliatory end to the year, but will have to pull themselves together once again to do so. In view of the “miracle bags” characteristic, anything seems possible in the three-way market, although Frankfurt are clearly the favorites against Gladbach according to the betting odds.

We only agree with this assessment to a limited extent, as Eintracht have been weak of late, losing six of their last seven competitive matches and are also likely to be without defensive boss Robin Koch. The Foals, on the other hand, do not have much to lose, having only lost once in their last nine BL games in Frankfurt and have scored at least once in all of their away games so far this season. However, they have also conceded 21 goals, an average of exactly three per game away from home

We have therefore decided to venture a combined bet of 1X & both goals between Frankfurt and Gladbach. The Toppmöller team, traditionally much stronger in their own stadium, will not leave the pitch as losers, but we still expect a completely open match with several goalmouth scrambles on both sides. Three or more goals in the course of the match, probably on both sides, is definitely the statistic