Eintracht Frankfurt wants to take the chance in three home games in a row to advance in the Bundesliga and impress in the Champions League debut. First opponent is initially RB Leipzig.
Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - The climate is great and the anticipation for the English weeks with the premiere in the Champions League is great. "The mood is a bit more relaxed after the win in Bremen, without degenerating into exuberance," reported Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner on Thursday before the first of three home games in a row. Title contender RB Leipzig is the next opponent in the Bundesliga on Saturday (6.30 p.m. / Sky). Four days later, Sporting Lisbon comes to the first premier class game in the club's history, followed by Glasner's former club VfL Wolfsburg.
"From now on it's game, game, game - but that's what we want," said Glasner. After the 4:3 win at SV Werder against Leipzig, he is hoping for the second win of the season and a tailwind for the first international test. "We want to win against Leipzig," said the Austrian. "They will demand everything from us - but so will we." It is a top team with the claim to play for the German championship: "We need a top performance in all areas to achieve something."
In view of the offensive power of the Saxons with returnees Timo Werner, Christopher Nkunku and ex-Frankfurter André Silva, the coach rejected the ongoing criticism of the supposed defensive weaknesses of Frankfurt. "I don't see a defensive problem," emphasized Glasner. "We only conceded five shots against Cologne, which is quite a few when you consider the Cologne game." In Bremen they played well defensively for long stretches: "There were at most one or two individual mistakes."
However, there were also major set piece problems that resulted in goals being conceded. "When I was a player, I had a teacher as a coach who said to us: 'If you always focus on the problem, it often gets bigger than it is.' That's why we let the topic of standard goals conceded rest," said Glasner.
The Austrian did not want to reveal whether he would still like to have brought a new defensive player to the Main before the transfer deadline on Thursday. "There is no time to be gloomy. We will always try to get the best out of our players for the club," Glasner said diplomatically. Eintracht announced another player departure. The Australian Ajdin Hrustic will play for the Italian first division club Hellas Verona in the future.
