Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bochum

Deutsche Bank Park sets the stage for a high-stakes Bundesliga showdown between European hopefuls Eintracht Frankfurt and bottom-half Bochum.

The impending return to the Deutsche Bank Park falls kindly for Eintracht Frankfurt following a disastrous 2-0 defeat at relegation-battling Cologne last weekend. Three consecutive Bundesliga victories on home turf can inspire confidence around Dino Toppmoller’s camp after his side slipped to sixth in the standings, six points below fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund. Bochum’s visit can only add to Frankfurt’s optimism, with ‘Die Adler’ winning three consecutive top-flight H2Hs they had hosted before a 1-1 draw in this corresponding fixture last term. Taking the lead could be a game-defining achievement, considering Toppmoller’s men are unbeaten in all 11 league matches in which they’ve gone in front this season (W8, D3). But one of those three draws came in the reverse fixture against Bochum, suggesting they can’t take anything for granted.

In the meantime, it’s been a decent start to the new calendar year for relegation-fighting Bochum, even though a 1-1 home draw against Augsburg last weekend held them to a third winless Bundesliga game in four in 2024 (W1, D2, L1). Only six points clear of 16th-placed Cologne, the visitors need every encouragement they can get, especially in the midst of a three-game losing league streak on the road. Indeed, Bochum’s well-documented travel sickness has seen them pick up just one win in their ten away league games this season (D3, L6). A lack of firepower has massively contributed to Bochum’s unimpressive away form, as they’ve netted a disappointing average of 0.7 goals per Bundesliga travel in 2023/24.