bundesliga.com

Determined to put in one more top European showing this term, trophy contenders Eintracht Frankfurt have what it takes to leave London with a positive result in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first-leg against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CEST).

Latest

Having slotted six goals past Ajax in the round of 16, Eintracht are fuelling hope of a run to this season's final to mirror their achievement in the 2021/22 season, when the Eagles lifted the Europa League trophy for the second time in their history. If Dino Toppmöller's team enjoyed a solid run in the competition's newly formed league phase this season, their fifth-placed finish was only marginally bettered by Thursday's opponents Spurs, who ended one place and one point better off than Die Adler. A run of three wins on the bounce in all competitions for Frankfurt was checked by Saturday's 2-0 loss away to Werder Bremen, a setback that failed to alter Eintracht's third-placed standing in the Bundesliga. Frankfurt were without goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and Ansgar Knauff - both players to have featured in the team's 2022 European success - at the weekend while striker Hugo Ekitiké drew a rare blank. The French forward will be hoping to be back in form to trouble Tottenham this week, with Thursday's hosts also needing to watch out for the likes of Nathaniel Brown, Nnamdi Collins, Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Can Uzun and one of the continent's most exciting young sides. Kauã Santos is expected to start in goal.

Despite a disappointing domestic campaign, Tottenham's run in the Europa League took in just one loss in the league phase (against Galatasaray), while Ange Postecoglou's side also overcame Bundesliga opposition earlier in the competition with a 3-2 victory at Hoffenheim. Just like Eintracht, Spurs then also knocked out Dutch opponents in AZ Alkmaar to reach the last eight, and the North London team are now pinning their season hopes on a trophy they last lifted back in 1984. Former Augsburg defender Kevin Danso and Swedish midfielder Dejan Kulusevski remain touch and go for Thursday's encounter, but Djed Spence should be available again following illness. Micky van de Ven (once of Wolfsburg), Heung-min Son (formerly of Hamburg) and James Maddison are expected to play key roles against the Eagles, meanwhile, while Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel is also an option in attack for the English Premier League outfit.

Watch: Eintracht aiming high in season run-in

Match stats

Ekitiké is Frankfurt’s biggest attacking threat in 2024/25, with 19 goals and eight assists in all competitions.

Frankfurt have faced Spurs four times in Europe, winning and drawing one and losing two.

Eintracht won the 2021/22 Europa League without losing a single game. Indeed, they were unbeaten in a record-equalling 18 matches in the competition until defeat to Lyon in this season’s league phase.

London club West Ham United were among the teams Frankfurt beat on their way to lifting the trophy in 2021/22. They also won away to Arsenal in the 2019/20 edition, having gone out in the semi-finals on penalties to Chelsea the previous year.

Postecoglu has lost all four of his previous meetings with Bundesliga clubs as a head coach, falling home and away to RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.

As well as Son and Tel, Van de Ven, Danso and Timo Werner have all played in the Bundesliga.

Probable teams

Tottenham: Vicario - Porro, Gray, Van de Ven, Spence - Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison - Johnson, Solanke, Son (c)

Out: Danso (thigh), Dragusin (knee)

Doubtful: Kulusevski (ankle)

Coach: Ange Postecoglou

Frankfurt: Santos - Kristensen, Koch (c), Tuta, Theate - Skhiri, Larsson - Collins, Götze, Bahoya - Ekitiké

Out: Chandler (thigh), Matanović (foot), Trapp (shin)

Doubtful: Knauff (knee), Wahi (knee)

Coach: Dino Toppmöller

LIVE blog!

VS

Spurs

Thu, 10.04 19:00

Frankfurt

Europa League

Quarter-final, first leg Quarter-final, first leg Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

From a young squad bursting with goals to the experience of 2022’s Europa League-winning team and a world champion in Mario Götze, here’s just five reasons why Eintracht will progress against Tottenham in this quarter-final…

© IMAGO/Harry Langer/DeFodi Images

Stumbling spurs

Ange Postecoglou's side sit in 14th in the Premier League, winning one of their last five. In Europe, however, they've only lost twice, winning six and drawing the other two games.

Previous meetings

Fixtures between these two sides are rare, with only four previous meetings between the two until now. Those games have resulted in two wins for Tottenham, one for Frankfurt and a draw in the other, with the most recent game coming in the 2022/23 Champions League season. Tottenham won an exciting 3-2 encounter on that occasion, with Daichi Kamada and Faride Alidou scoring for the Eagles.

Watch: Eintracht Frankurt on course for UEFA Champions League football

After finishing sixth last season, this exciting Frankfurt side have gone from strength to strength in 2024/25, blending the development of young stars such as Hugo Ekitiké, Nathaniel Brown and Can Uzun with exciting, winning football.

Soaring in Europe

Dino Toppmöller's side have lost just two of their 10 games so far in this competition, winning seven and drawing the remaining one. This accompanies an excellent campaign in the Bundesliga, where they sit in the Champions League places with just six games to go.

Bounce back

Eintracht Frankfurt come into this fixture in the back of a defeat to Werder Bremen, but remain in third with a two point gap between themselves and Mainz in fourth.

Watch: Werder Bremen 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt - highlights

Romano Schmid scored one and made another as Werder Bremen took three important points on Matchday 28.

The international Klassiker

Fixtures between German and English clubs have been a staple of European competition down the years, with Bundesliga teams recording some excellent victories over their continental rivals. Take a trip down memory lane for some of the most famous German wins over English clubs. .

© imago sportfotodienst/imago sportfotodienst

And then there were three

From seven clubs in September, only three German teams remain in Europe this season. Find out how all the Bundesliga’s representatives have got on across the three continental competitions here.

© DFL

Welcome!

Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of the first leg of Eintracht Frankfurt's quarter-final tie against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League, being played in London on Thursday.

Want more Bundesliga Action?

About the clubs

Related news

BVB injury blow!

Dortmund and Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck has suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Der Klassiker explained

bundesliga.com runs through the history of the rivalry between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund...

BVB have picked up results in their last two against Bayern and have the chance to make a big statement by winning in Munich again...