Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – Oliver Glasner has no problem with the fact that Eintracht Frankfurt’s duel with newly promoted SpVgg Greuther Fürth is for most fans just the overture to the big football festival against FC Barcelona. “Barcelona is omnipresent in Frankfurt and the surrounding area at the moment. We don’t want to push that away because it’s an absolute highlight,” said the coach of the Hessian Bundesliga club on Thursday. Of course, Glasner expects his team to concentrate fully on the task against the bottom of the table this Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky). “The best thing we can do for ourselves with regard to Barcelona is to win against Fürth,” emphasized the 47-year-old Austrian.
Five days before the already sold-out first leg in the quarter-finals of the Europa League against Barça, Eintracht wants to continue their winning streak. The Frankfurters have been unbeaten for six competitive games. The gap to sixth place, which brings the renewed participation in the European competition, is only six points. “For me, the best time of the year is now. Now you can reap what you have sown. It’s about rewarding you for the effort you’ve put in all year,” said Glasner about the upcoming final sprint of the season. The goal is clear: “We want to take as much with us as possible.”
Achieving this requires an absolute focus on the task at hand. “You have the best prerequisites if you are clear-headed and go into this phase with joy and enthusiasm. That’s exactly how we want to approach it,” announced Glasner.
Of course, the bottom of the table is the favorite against Fürth. However, according to Glasner, the Franconians should by no means be underestimated. “We have a lot of respect for the people of Fürth. They have a lot of quality and are aggressive,” warned the Eintracht coach.
Just in time for the crunch time in the season, all viewer restrictions are lifted. That plays into the cards of Eintracht. “We’re really looking forward to a great Bundesliga game in what will probably be a full arena. It’s nice to be able to enjoy the atmosphere,” said Glasner. By Thursday afternoon almost 50,000 tickets had been sold. “Especially when the game doesn’t go as you imagined, the support of the fans helps. They can provide a lot of positive energy,” emphasized the football coach.
It also looks good in terms of personnel. Only midfielder Christopher Lenz (calf injury) and Martin Hinteregger (suspended) are missing. The defense chief is represented by Makoto Hasebe. “He behaved great when he wasn’t playing and deserved a stake,” Glasner said of the 38-year-old Japanese.
It is still unclear who will act as striker. Rafael Borré, who only returned to Frankfurt from an international match with Colombia on Thursday, was unhappy recently. Alternatives for the starting XI are Gonçalo Paciência and Ragnar Ache. Daichi Kamada, who took a break from training on Thursday, is not in danger. “He twisted his ankle, but it’s not that bad. He will train again on Friday,” assured Glasner.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220331-99-745366/4
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