Five games without a win, lost 3-0 away during the week and thus eliminated from the European Cup – the parallels between 1. FC Union and Eintracht Frankfurt are obvious before the duel on Sunday (3.30 p.m., Dazn) in the An der Alten Försterei stadium . “Union also played an excellent international season. Recently there was a bit of sand in the gears in some games, especially in terms of results. Some clubs seem to be going through these phases at the moment,” said Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner. His team last won almost exactly a month ago, 2-0 against Werder Bremen.
The clear end in the round of 16 of the Champions League against SSC Napoli on Tuesday was a disappointment and a new experience, said Glasner. “We didn’t know the feeling of leaving a European Cup game as a team that had been eliminated. But we can all classify it.” Last season, Frankfurt won the Europa League.
As with the Frankfurters, there was a mixture of disappointment and pride after the 0: 3 against Saint-Gilloise on Thursday at Union. On Friday, after the return trip, the analysis followed, “and it was clear,” as coach Urs Fischer emphasized. The Swiss was particularly bothered by the fact that his players “lost their heads a bit” and “didn’t appear as a team in certain phases”.
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games Union and Frankfurt have not won recently
Fischer didn’t want to pick on the mistakes too much, also because of the short time until the important game against Frankfurt, but not. He expects a clear signal from his team on Sunday. “We want to show a reaction to this game on Thursday, and it’s not about losing or being eliminated, it’s about the way we played,” said Fischer.
It is obvious that his team is physically and mentally exhausted after many English weeks, but before the international break the Berliners have to mobilize their strength one last time. Apart from Andras Schäfer, who is still injured, and captain Christopher Trimmel, who is ill, all the players are available, including Kevin Behrens, who was absent in Brussels for a short time.
With a win against Eintracht, Union could extend the lead to eight points – it would be a big step towards another European Cup qualification and would also significantly improve the chances of the Champions League. “Of course, the game is important when it comes to international places,” said Fischer, unusually brisk. “There are still ten game days left and at some point we have to start scoring again.”
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