Preview: Full focus on the Bundesliga | OneFootball

The Eagles only have league fixtures on the calendar in February, starting with Sunday’s home match against VfL Wolfsburg.

How things stand

It’s been a week of facing Wolves for Eintracht. Following Thursday’s UEFA Europa League match away to AS Roma comes a meeting against VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga this weekend. “We have to make sure we get back to our old selves on Sunday and go into our games with a different kind of courage and conviction in order to stay on track in the Bundesliga,” said board member for sport Markus Krösche following Eintracht’s 2-0 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico. Despite the result, Dino Toppmöller’s charges went straight through to the round of 16, thereby avoiding a two-legged knockout phase play-off in February. As such, the team’s next five competitive games are all in the Bundesliga.

That sequence begins with a Matchday 20 assignment at home to Wolfsburg at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday 2 February (kick-off 15:30 CET). Eintracht go into the weekend in third place, having drawn 2-2 away to TSG Hoffenheim in their last league outing.

Ralph Hasenhüttl’s Wolfsburg side also drew 2-2 on Matchday 19 after being held at home by Holstein Kiel. Sitting in seventh place with 28 points on the board, the Wolves are firmly in contention for the European qualifying spots. Indeed, they have one of the best away records in the division this season with 16 points from nine games on the road.

Looking back

Eintracht earned a narrow 2-1 win in Wolfsburg in the reverse fixture on Matchday 3. “Wolfsburg are a very awkward opponent with a lot of quality,” said Toppmöller. “On Sunday we’re going up against a team who have had the whole week to prepare for us and who are well rested.”

Free-scoring teams

Hugo Ekitiké’s brace in Sinsheim last Sunday took Eintracht’s goal tally for the season to 44, a figure bettered only by Bayer Leverkusen (46) and Bayern Munich (58). Rounding out the top four, however, are Wolfsburg, with 42 goals from 19 games so far. Indeed, the Wolves have found the net in each of their last 24 games against Eintracht. Furthermore, both teams boast a league-high 15 different goalscorers this season. Toppmöller is determined not to allow the visitors to add to that figure on Sunday: “We’re desperate to build on the good position we’ve got ourselves into.”