Preview: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Werder Bremen - prediction, team news, lineups

Frankfurt lost to FC Koln last weekend, while Werder Bremen were defeated by Borussia Dortmund.

Match preview

Having put together an unbeaten run of nine matches in all competitions since losing to Dortmund in late October, Frankfurt were stunned by the nature of their defeat when losing 3-0 away to Koln on Sunday.

Koln had not scored in either of their previous two matches before hosting Frankfurt, having held Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig to goalless draws, and that trend looked set to continue after a low-key first half ended 0-0 at RheinEnergieStadion.

However, Frankfurt were blitzed by Timo Hubers' header and an unlikely brace from Ellyes Skhiri after the break, with Oliver Glasner's side only testing opposition goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe on one occasion across the course of the 90 minutes.

With only VfL Bochum and Schalke conceding more goals than Werder ahead of this weekend's action, Frankfurt will expect their forthcoming opponents to be more accommodating, but they can not afford to rest on their laurels having slipped two points behind fourth-placed Freiburg as they look to qualify for the Champions League once again.

Indeed, with a tricky home tie against Serie A leaders Napoli awaiting them at Deutsche Bank Park on Tuesday, their home match against Werder on Saturday will be an important dress rehearsal ahead of their first ever knockout tie in Europe's elite competition since it was rebranded in 1992.

Having bounced back from Germany's second tier at the first opportunity last season, Werder's aspirations for the current campaign are understandably much more modest than their forthcoming opponents', with their primary aim of avoiding relegation already all but secured.

With a 10-point gap in front of Hertha Berlin in the relegation play-off spot ahead of this weekend's action, it would take an almighty collapse for Die Werderaner to even be involved in a relegation scrap from this stage of proceedings, let alone actually find themselves demoted in May.

Ole Werner's side were second best throughout their 2-0 defeat at home to Dortmund last weekend, with second half strikes from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julian Brandt ultimately helping the visitors' to a fifth straight league win. However, having won their previous two matches, there is certainly no reason for Werder to panic whatsoever.

With Wolfsburg only three points ahead of them in seventh position, though, Werner may have half an eye on securing a potential Europa Conference League spot, which would represent a remarkable achievement considering the club has not competed in any European competition since the 2010-11 campaign.

Beating a team of the calibre of Frankfurt, who of course won the Europa League last season, would strongly indicate that their early season form was no fluke - and that Werner's side have the capacity to become an increasingly dangerous team in the coming years.

Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga form:

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Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):

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Werder Bremen Bundesliga form:

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Team News

Frankfurt will remain without Eric Dina Ebimbe, who is unlikely to return until early April due to an ankle injury. Jesper Lindstrom shook off a thigh injury to start against Koln last weekend, with the attacking midfielder likely to retain his spot in Glasner's starting XI.

The former Wolfsburg boss may have one eye on his side's forthcoming European game against Napoli when naming his team against Werder on Saturday, but he is likely to avoid the temptation to rotate, and instead hope to make changes from the substitutes' bench should victory be all but secured.

Werder, meanwhile, will travel without Felix Agu and Mitchell Weiser due to knee and ankle injuries respectively, while Leonardo Bittencourt is suspended after receiving his fifth caution of the season against Dortmund last weekend.

Jens Stage could shuffle across to right wing-back in Weiser's absence, with Romano Schmid and Ilia Gruev coming in to the visitors' midfield, while club captain Marco Friedl should return to the left side of the defence after missing the last match through a ban of his own.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Trapp; Tuta, Hasebe, N'Dicka; Buta, Kamada, Sow, Max; Lindstrom, Gotze; Kolo Muani

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:

Pavlenka; Pieper, Stark, Friedl; Stage, Gruev, Gross, Schmidt, Jung; Fullkrug, Ducksch

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Werder Bremen

This should be an entertaining match between two teams who prefer to attack than defend, but Frankfurt should have enough quality to secure all three points with home advantage on their side.

Werder's leaky defence is likely to prove accommodating to the burgeoning presence of Randal Kolo Muani, with himself and Niclas Fullkrug both enjoying growing reputations after enjoying superb individual World Cup campaigns with France and Germany respectively.

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