Preview: Eintracht Frankfurt vs FC Koln - prediction, team news, lineups

With a new manager at the helm, FC Koln will be hoping to distance themselves from the Bundesliga's relegation zone on Sunday, when they travel to take on Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park.

Die Adler are looking to bounce back after their defeat last time out, while the Billy Goats are searching for their first win since January.

Match preview

Frankfurt qualified for the Champions League at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but with just seven games remaining in the top-flight calendar, Albert Riera's side are at risk of missing out on European football entirely.

Die Adler currently sit seventh in the Bundesliga as things stand, and their tally of 38 points has them eight short of sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen in the race for UEFA competition.

Riera has undoubtedly improved Frankfurt since taking over from Dino Toppmoller, losing just twice during his short tenure so far after stepping through the door with the club having lost five of their six outings beforehand.

However, the Spanish boss has only overseen three wins from his seven fixtures in the hotseat, drawing twice, and after a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Mainz 05 prior to the international break, the club will be desperate to kickstart some momentum this weekend.

With that goal in mind, the hosts will take heart from the fact that Riera has a 100% record at Deutsche Bank Park, and has managed to keep clean sheets in all three of those victories, downing Borussia Monchengladbach 3-0, Freiburg 2-0 and Heidenheim 1-0 most recently.

Meanwhile, Koln are looking for a fresh start on their return to action, dismissing Lukas Kwasniok and replacing him with his assistant, Rene Wagner, on an interim basis.

Wagner is perhaps best known to Bundesliga fans as the long-time assistant to Steffen Baumgart, having followed the current Union Berlin coach to SC Paderborn, Koln, Hamburger SV and Die Eisernen over the years.

Wagner returned to the Billy Goats ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, and his immediate task after being thrust into the spotlight will be to keep the club in the division.

Kwasniok signed off with a 3-3 stalemate with Gladbach on March 21, extending Koln's winless run to seven matches, and that stretch - which featured four defeats - has left Wagner's team 15th in the league, a mere two points above St Pauli in the relegation playoff spot.

The visitors will be hoping to avoid being dragged into the bottom three on Sunday, but given that they have registered just one away win since August (a commendable 1-0 triumph over Hoffenheim on October 3), it would be a remarkable surprise if the Billy Goats won on the road.

Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga form:

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

Team News

Frankfurt will be without goalkeeper Kaua Santos and centre-back Nnamdi Collins, who are sidelined for the rest of the season due to respective knee and ankle injuries, as well as right-back Rasmus Kristensen, who is dealing with an ankle issue of his own.

In their absence, central defenders Aurele Amenda, Arthur Theate and Robin Koch look set to protect shot-stopper Michael Zetterer, flanked by Ritsu Doan and Nathaniel Brown.

Further forward, left winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya is out with a thigh injury, while strikers Younes Ebnoutalib and Michy Batshuayi are doubts after returning from longer-term layoffs, though Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga and Jonathan Burkardt should be ready to start up top.

As for Koln, they are lighter in defence than ideal, missing centre-backs Timo Hubers (knee) and Luca Kilian (knee), not to mention that fellow centre-half Joel Schmied is a doubt due to a muscle injury, and versatile defensive midfielder Eric Martel is suspended after being sent off against Gladbach.

Looking to plug the gaps, Wagner may opt for Rav van den Berg and Cenk Ozkacar at the heart of his backline, with Isak Bergmann Johannesson and Tom Krauss patrolling the centre of the park just in front of the duo while Denis Huseinbasic (hip) remains a doubt.

Elsewhere, the fitness of wide man and wing-back option Alessio Castro-Montes is also in question, but Sebastian Sebulonsen and Kristoffer Lund are likely to start at full-back, with Said El Mala and Jan Thielmann providing width up font.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Zetterer; Amenda, Koch, Theate; Doan, Gotze, Larsson, Uzun, Brown; Kalimuendo, Burkardt

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Sebulonsen, Van den Berg, Ozkacar, Lund; Johannesson, Krauss; Thielmann, Kaminski, El Mala; Ache

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 FC Koln

Frankfurt may be inconsistent, but Riera's perfect home record suggests that they are likely to get the better of their relegation-threatened visitors this weekend.

That being said, Koln could put up a fight thanks to the 'new manager bounce', though it would be shocking if they were to take all three points on Sunday.

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