5 reasons Eintracht Frankfurt will beat RB Leipzig in the 2022/23 DFB Cup final
Eintracht Frankfurt have the chance to move level second for most DFB Cup trophy wins, when they take on holders RB Leipzig in Saturday's final. bundesliga.com explains why Randal Kolo Muani and Co. will come out on top...
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1) A cup team
Frankfurt are in their third DFB Cup final since 2016/17, making it their most successful ever spell in the competition. The Eagles won their past two major finals (2018 DFB Cup and 2022 UEFA Europa League). Such victories have earned Eintracht a reputation for being a formidable cup team, despite not quite hitting the same highs in the Bundesliga over the past two seasons. After reaching the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on their tournament debut and finishing seventh in the Bundesliga, winning a sixth DFB Cup would be the perfect ending to 2022/23 and a fitting send-off for outgoing head coach Glasner.
2) The Europa League factor
Memories of last season's historic Europa League success must have lingered in the mind of any Frankfurt fan following Sevilla vs. Roma in this year's final this past week. The club would love another shot at that competition, but will need to beat RB Leipzig for that - as their seventh-placed Bundesliga finish is only enough to qualify them for the UEFA Conference League play-offs. Leipzig have already secured their spot in the Champions League, so arguably have less motivation from that perspective.
3) Goal-o Muani
Kolo Muani had more goal involvements than any other player in the past Bundesliga season (15 goals and 11 assists) - that's six more than Leipzig talisman and French countryman Christopher Nkunku. The France international has taken his explosive form to the DFB Cup, too, and is the competition's top scorer on six goals, one clear of Leipzig's Timo Werner. You wouldn't envy the Leipzig defence, missing the suspended Josko Gvardiol, with a fired-up Kolo Muani on their hands.
Watch: Randal Kolo Muani - AWS analysis
4) Mario's super cup record
Mario Götze is best known around the world for scoring the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final, but he also has an impressive record in the DFB Cup. As well as being the leading provider in this season's competition, setting up five goals, he has won the cup four times - in 2012 and 2017 for Borussia Dortmund, and in 2014 and 2016 for Bayern Munich. Victory with Frankfurt would see him become just the fifth player to lift the trophy with three different clubs.
5) They like playing Leipzig
Eintracht have won the only previous encounter between the sides in the DFB Cup (a 3-1 home triumph in the 2019/20 last 16). Before a rare loss in Leipzig (2-1) this February, Frankfurt had gone seven competitive matches without defeat against them. The first meeting of this season was comprehensively won 4-0 by Glasner's side. A repeat performance cannot be ruled out in the final...
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