Can Eintracht Frankfurt win the Bundesliga?
Eintracht Frankfurt added an almighty exclamation mark to their impressive start to the season with an assured 1-0 win over Werder Bremen. Now they’re closing the gap on first-placed Bayern, and they look capable of maintaining their challenge for the title.
The Eagles are just six points shy of leaders Bayern Munich, and have already held Der Rekordmeister in a similarly entertaining 3-3 draw on Matchday 6.
Now, following the international break, they are sitting pretty in second following a five-game win streak in all competitions, it’s time bundesliga.com asked, are Eintracht Frankfurt title contenders?
Marmoush the talk of Europe
One of the biggest arguments in Frankfurt’s favour is their man up top. Had you asked any observer in pre-season who would score more out of Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitiké this term, many would have picked the latter. However, it is the Egyptian who is the division's second-highest goalscorer 11 goals, with Bayern’s Harry Kane on 16.
After the November international break, Marmoush has scored four more goals than any Bundesliga player not named Kane, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down any time soon. It’s not just the numbers that stand out, either, but also the variation and timing of the strikes.
Watch: Egyptian Eagle - Omar Marmoush
Marmoush had scored free-kicks in three consecutive matches, with the most recent scorcher against Stuttgart turning out to be an eventual match-winner. He’s now scored in all but three Bundesliga games this season and has 16 in all competitions - plus a further 10 assists.
Given that the 25-year-old has been in Germany since 2019 with Wolfsburg, Stuttgart and St. Pauli without fully fulfilling his potential, there were some fears this could be just a purple patch. With each passing game, though, those doubts continue to fade, and Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche has explained why.
"He already had the hardware - speed and shooting technique - before,” Krösche said. “Now he uses it very well and purposefully, and he has taken a very, very big step in his decision-making. He also has the necessary self-confidence and self-awareness.”
It’s not just Omar
They say that goals breed confidence, and that’s certainly been the case for Frankfurt, who have seen 13 players find the back of the net this season in all competitions - that's more than all of their Bundesliga rivals.
While Ekitiké is the only player who can hold a candle to Marmoush’s 16 efforts with nine, Frankfurt’s fluidity in front of goal is clear for all to see.
Watch: Mario Götze still going strong
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Just take Nathaniel Brown as an example. With three substitute appearances, the 21-year-old defender made his first start in the DFB Cup on October 30 and, after opening his account against Bochum on Matchday 9, he followed straight up with another against Stuttgart. The message is clear - if a ball comes into your box, it doesn’t matter which Frankfurt player is on the end of it. The end result is often the same.
Captain fan-Trapp-stic
Taking the armband on a full-time basis this season after Sebastian Rode’s retirement, Kevin Trapp was already the Eagles’ de-facto captain last season and has long had the leadership qualities to guide his team from the goalmouth outwards.
Returning in 2019 after three seasons away at Paris Saint-Germain, the nine-time Germany international bedded straight back in and even added to the 11 trophies he lifted in France.
Trapp is Frankfurt’s longest-serving player, while his current five-year stint in Hessen has coincided with club’s famous 2022 UEFA Europa League triumph. Now, he is passing that winning mentality onto his teammates.
While the 3-2 win over Stuttgart should have been a cause for celebration, Trapp - who saved a penalty - thought it wasn’t good enough as his side appeared to have lost a three-goal lead before Chris Führich’s stoppage-time equaliser was ruled offside.
Watch: VfB Stuttgart 2-3 Eintracht Frankfurt - highlights
"We have to address that, it's just not acceptable that we stop playing football after the 3-0 and get into trouble again,” the 34-year-old said. "We have to accept the fact that we should have held onto one or two balls better at the back, been more patient and not played every ball directly."
More to come from the kids?
The most pessimistic of Frankfurt fans may be trying to get the most enjoyment out of this run while it lasts, but head coach Dino Toppmöller has quite the opposite view, commenting: "Ultimately, it's about development. We're only at the beginning, the fans can look forward to an exciting future with this great and young team. We have the motivation to be a top team and we are heading in the right direction.”
The stats back him up. Frankfurt have the third-youngest team in the Bundesliga with an average age of 25.5, and those numbers aren’t just for show. Several youngsters are having an impact well beyond their age, with 20-year-old Hugo Larsson running things in midfield and playing more games than any of his teammates.
Igor Matanović, Farès Chaïbi and Aurèle Amenda are all contributing, just like the aforementioned Brown, while summer signings Can Uzun and Oscar Höjlund are rated as some of the premier youth talents to join the Bundesliga. With room to grow in the Europa League, it might not be long before another wildcard pops up to aid the title charge.
Topp billing
Toppmöller’s path to the top has been a long one, perhaps even starting the day he was born given that his father Klaus was a legendary Bundesliga coach in his own right.
A former player for Frankfurt, Dino’s return in 2023 marked 20 years since he departed and embarked on his path to the summit. It’s been an organised and steady ascent, coaching in Luxembourg before moving on to the next stage of his development by working as Julian Nagelsmann’s assistant at Bayern.
Such an impressive and intriguing rise through the coaching ranks meant that Toppmöller was hot property when he decided to finally go solo, and Frankfurt were the winners of his signature, much to the delight of Krösche who commented: “It was only a matter of time before Dino Toppmöller became a head coach in the Bundesliga. We are happy to have won him over with his expertise, his profound understanding of football and his high level of interpersonal skills.
“I’ve followed Dino’s path for a long time and in Leipzig I was able to get an idea of his way of working, which is characterised by a high level of tactical understanding and analytical skills. It was no surprise that Julian Nagelsmann took him to Bayern Munich. He still has a very good reputation there, too.”
Watch: Toppmöller's Marmoush praise
Krösche’s foresight was proved wise once again as Toppmöller recorded a sixth-place finish in 2023/24, Frankfurt’s best in three seasons, with a campaign that featured a 5-1 demolition of Bayern in December.
Naturally, with everything in place, it seemed like Toppmöller’s progress would continue, and it has. Third in the table, could he even lead his side to first? Time will tell…
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