Two weeks after the best performance of the season in the 3:1 against Olympiakos Piraeus, Eintracht will have to play in a witch’s cauldron in the Greek port city on Thursday. Of all things, coach Oliver Glasner will have to do without his strongest offensive player: Filip Kostic.
The Eintracht is bracing itself for a heated atmosphere in the Karaiskakis Stadium, but also sees it as a special motivation. “That’s why we all started playing football. The anticipation has been huge all week. We have prepared ourselves for a heated game and a hot atmosphere, there will be a lot of noise coming from the stands,” explains full-back Erik Durm His coach expresses it similarly: “The stadium will be pretty full. We can expect a great atmosphere and a very good opponent. Based on the first leg, we’ll come out with confidence. “
The goal must be to build on the strong performance shown in the home match against Piraeus. The standings serve as an additional encouragement. “Our approach is to win every game in the Europa League. If we win in Piraeus, we will definitely be in the top two,” the coach knows. This early Christmas present would be a remarkable success, especially against the background of the problems in the Bundesliga.
Glasner, however, will have to do without left winger Filip Kostic. The Serbian international has had problems with his Achilles tendon and ankle for some time, the coach reported. Kostic, Ajdin Hrustic (ankle problems), Goncalo Paciencia (thigh problems) and Christopher Lenz (fibre tear) did not even make the trip to Piraeus. The coach was unable to say whether Kostic will be available again for Sunday’s eminently important match in Fürth: “I don’t know how it will develop by Sunday.”
Four-man backline an option against Piraeus
It is also open who will replace Kostic in the Europa League. A 3-4-3 would be conceivable, as was the case against Leipzig, in which Jens Petter Hauge or Jesper Lindström, for example, could come in on the attacking half-left. Erik Durm would then remain on the left in the three/five-man backline, while Aymen Barkok could be given a chance on the right instead of Almamy Toure. “We have a few variants,” says Glasner, explicitly bringing a switch to a four-man backline into play.
More important than these questions of detail, however, will be that Eintracht show their European Cup face again on Thursday evening by being much more determined, courageous and aggressive than recently in the Bundesliga. Glasner is convinced that his team can be successful even without Kostic. After all, the winger was not directly involved in any of the three goals in the 3:1 win against Olympiakos. “We can do it without Filip Kostic. Now it’s about showing that on Thursday,” Glasner demands.
