Fresh from a win over the league leaders, Oliver Glasner’s Frankfurt will be seeking a fourth consecutive victory with the visit of Tottenham, a streak that began with a magnificent Champions League victory in Southern France.
After a dismal 3-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon in their opening group game, the Germans snapped Marseille’s streak of five successive home victories with an incisive, smash-and-grab performance at the Orange Velodrome, as Jesper Lindstrom fired home a crisp, left-footed finish to seal a 1-0 away win.
As ever with Die Adler, though, form has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Famed for their consistent inconsistency, Glasner’s men have already followed up a 4-0 thumping of RB Leipzig
with a dire 1-0 loss to Wolfsburg this season, so they will need to remain focused with the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min sniffing around for any lapses of concentration.
While their home form is not fantastic, having lost three times at Deutsche Bank Park already this campaign, the Europa League holders are clearly a dangerous side, who should not be taken lightly by Conte’s men.
As for the visitors, heading into one of the busiest fixture blocks in their recent history, there is absolutely no time to dwell on past performances.
Taking on a Frankfurt side who also have three points in Group D, a positive result in Germany could help to open up a valuable route through to the Champions League knockout stages.
The Lilywhites became the first English side to lose to Sporting Lisbon in Europe’s top competition three weeks ago, as former Spurs academy player Marcus Edwards led the line for the Portuguese side in a 2-0 win.
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Os Leoes are top of the group, but face a tricky trip to Marseille this week, leaving a potential opportunity for the other two sides to catch up.
A 62nd-minute red card for Emerson Royal certainly did not help Tottenham’s cause on the weekend, allowing a galvanised Arsenal to push on and kill an otherwise competitive game. While not at their best, Conte’s side did not completely crumble under the pressure, and were perhaps unfortunate to lose by two.
Similar resolve will be required in Frankfurt, to ensure that morale does not sink ahead of a demanding glut of games, as trips to Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United sandwich crucial European encounters.
