For over two decades Eintracht has been waiting for a win in Munich. Will it work this time? In any case, coach Oliver Glasner is demonstratively confident and emphasises: “I want to see in the eyes of the players that we are going to Munich and that we have the confidence to win there.
Sunshine and up to 25 degrees will make for a golden October day in Munich on Sunday. Whether Eintracht will be able to enjoy the trip to the away game at league leaders FC Bayern, however, seems doubtful. “We won’t be taking a Sunday trip in late summer temperatures for coffee and cake, but will give Bayern a real fight,” Glasner announces. But the record in Munich could hardly be worse: In 50 Bundesliga guest games, the Hessians have only managed three victories, the last win (2:1) was over 20 years ago (2000/01 season). FC Bayern have won all of their last twelve home games against Frankfurt – the Munich team currently has a longer series against no other club.
It will probably only be a matter of damage limitation on Sunday from 5.30 p.m., far more important is the home match against Hertha BSC after the international break – a match with a trend-setting character. Regardless of this, it is right and important that Glasner demonstrates self-confidence: “We are not going to Munich to force a close game, but to win. I say that with full conviction. That was always the approach with Wolfsburg, even if we didn’t succeed. I want to see in the players’ eyes that we are going to Munich and that we have the confidence to win there,” stressed the Austrian.
That this requires an “absolute top performance in all areas” is as clear as day. Glasner outlines what he expects from his players: “We need the utmost concentration, we have to constantly support and double up on the wings, but at the same time have at least equal numbers in the centre, preferably more. We need an incredible amount of running. But we can’t and don’t just want to defend, we want to use the ball wins, which we will certainly have, to break up situations courageously. That’s where you need two, three, four quick short passes to be able to exploit the spaces that are there.”
What Glasner doesn’t say, but is obvious: Without a significant improvement in performance compared to the game in Antwerp (1-0), a debacle is looming. Ajdin Hrustic’s careless ball losses in midfield alone would probably have led to several goals for Bayern. You can’t afford such sloppiness at this level. In addition: “When we intercept balls, we will hardly have time to find solutions. That will be an important experience for the players in the centre. We also talk about the fact that we are always too long on the ball in these areas. We can’t allow ourselves that in Munich. “
It is difficult to predict which basic order the coach will rely on. Will he rely on a three-man/five-man defence like in Antwerp (3-5-2) or will he return to a four-man defence? The wings could probably be protected a little better with a four-man defence, but left-back Christopher Lenz (fibre tear) is still out, and there is also a question mark behind Erik Durm (concussion). And Danny da Costa is unlikely to be an option after his poor performance against Cologne.
It would be conceivable that Glasner would bring in an additional defensive midfielder instead of a second striker in a 3-5-2. For example, Djibril Sow, Makoto Hasebe and Kristijan Jakic could play in front of the defence. This would have the advantage, among other things, that the outside sixes could support the wingers Filip Kostic and Timothy Chandler in the game against the ball; in the centre there would still be two keepers. In the back three, Almamy Toure, Stefan Ilsanker and Martin Hinteregger could defend.
At the front, it makes sense to play the speedy Jesper Lindström behind striker Rafael Borré in order to have enough players with pace in transition moments. “Jesper is certainly an option with his speed,” says Glasner. Kostic and Chandler could also pose problems for Bayern with their pace after losing the ball. “We want to use our switching moments via a compact, aggressive defence,” Glasner announces. So that in the end it will also be a golden October day for Eintracht. Three points in Munich taste better than coffee and cake, even in the evening sun.