Preview: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FC Koln - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, have suffered defeat in both of their opening league games of the campaign.

Match preview

Despite gaining a respectable four points from two matches, it would be fair to assert that Frankfurt are yet to catch fire under their new manager Dino Toppmoller, who replaced Oliver Glasner earlier this summer.

The former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich assistant manager arrives with plenty of coaching pedigree, but he has never led a team himself at anywhere near this level, meaning it would be hugely beneficial for him to hit the ground running in order to remove any lingering doubts about his suitability for the role.

After edging past newly promoted SV Darmstadt 98 with a tight 1-0 victory at Deutsche Bank Park on the opening weekend, Die Adler claimed a good draw away to Mainz 05 last time out in the Bundesliga, with Omar Marmoush rescuing a point in injury-time after Ansgar Knauff's 61st-minute dismissal had left his side chasing the game with a one-goal and one-man disadvantage.

Having cruised past Levski Sofia in the second leg of their Europa Conference League qualifying play-off tie on Thursday to reach the group stage of a European competition for the third successive season, Toppmoller and his players will have the upcoming international break in sight to receive some respite from the pressures of club football, but first they must navigate beyond the upcoming test that Koln will provide.

Indeed, having lost both of their league games so far this season, Steffen Baumgart and his players will arrive in Frankfurt with plenty of motivation to return to Cologne with a positive result.

After finishing seventh in his debut season at the club - qualifying for the Europa Conference League in the process - Koln dropped down to 11th in the table last time out, although they were never seriously concerned with any outside of fears of suffering relegation.

Injury problems have plagued The Billy Goats in recent times, but having fought so hard to ultimately come away with nothing after Donyell Malen's 88th-minute winner for Borussia Dortmund on the opening matchday, throwing away a one-goal lead to lose to Wolfsburg last time out would have particularly stung.

Koln had briefly led through Luca Waldschmidt's 55th-minute strike, but Jonas Wind scored a brace for the second match running to turn the match on its head and leave Koln as one of four teams without a point to their name ahead of matchday three. They will be desperate to change that on Sunday, with their fresher legs potentially a major factor in helping them potentially do so.

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FC Koln Bundesliga form:

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FC Koln form (all competitions):

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Team News

Randal Kolo Muani refused to train in recent days, potentially leading Frankfurt into feeling obliged to let him go, with his £75m move to Paris Saint-Germain reportedly close to completion at the time of writing.

Jessic Ngankam may receive the nod to replace him in attack, with Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe likely to line-up on the right flank in the absence of Knauff, who will miss out through suspension after his red card against Mainz.

Mehdi Loune, Lucas Alario and club captain Sebastian Rode all remain sidelined through injury, with the trio likely to return to action later in September.

Koln, meanwhile, lost David Selke to a hamstring injury during their defeat to Wolfsburg last weekend, meaning Sargis Adamyan is set to lead the visitors' attack with the close support of Waldschmidt.

Eric Martel was also substituted due to a hip injury and may not be risked, while Florian Dietz, Mark Uth, Jan Thielmann, Noah Katterbach and Steffen Tigges are also all major doubts to make their side's trip this weekend.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Trapp; Koch, Smolcic, Pacho; Ebimbe, Jakic, Shkiri, Max; Gotze; Marmoush, Ngankam

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Paqarada; Ljubicic, Huseinbasic; Carstensen, Kainz, Waldschmidt; Adamyan

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 FC Koln

With both managers having some key players unavailable to choose from, and Frankfurt potentially facing fatigue after having a fixture pile-up already, we can envisage a share of the spoils between these sides on Sunday.

Koln will be desperate to avoid losing all three of their league games ahead of the international break, while Frankfurt may be content enough to remain unbeaten in hope of reintegrating Kolo Muani to their starting XI later in September.

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