After recording a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Ajax in Amsterdam, Eintracht Frankfurt will have the odds in their favour - not to mention rising star striker Huge Ekitiké, evergreen maestro Mario Götze and a superb record in the competition - in the return leg of their UEFA Europa League last 16 tie at Deutsche-Bank-Park on Thursday 13 March.

Allow bundesliga.com to explain...

Follow Thursday's second leg HERE!

1) Hugo has it

Ekitiké is the latest in a long line of top-class forwards at Frankfurt. The 22-year-old, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain, has well and truly charmed Eintracht fans over the past 12 months with his flicks, tricks and slick attacking play - and with Omar Marmoush leaving the club in January, the young Frenchman is stepping up into the role of apex predator. Thirteen goals and three assists is his hugely respectable output in 23 Bundesliga appearances so far this season, and he will be relishing the prospect of building on the two goals and two assists he provided in the league phase of the competition.

Ekitiké may not have scored against Ajax in the first leg, but he went awfully close early in the second half and will doubtless be a real threat in the return leg at Deutsche Bank Park - where he has scored eight of his league and both his Europa League goals of the season - on Thursday.

Watch: All of Hugo Ekitiké's goals and assists

2) Götze the Great

Players who have been there and won the lot are a great complement to bright young hopefuls like Ekitiké in a squad. Götze already has a legendary place in the German game thanks to his World Cup-winning strike in Brazil in 2014, and boasts five Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund to boot.

He has found a role as a beloved elder statesman at Eintracht since arriving back in the Bundesliga in 2022. Now aged 32, he may no longer have youthful vigour on his side but he does boast an ever-expanding mastery of positional play in the middle of the park - in addition to his supreme technique.

As Frankfurt sporting CEO Markus Krösche said recently: "You need an anchor in a team, and Mario is just that kind of anchor." His experience can definitely be counted on to eke out a vital advantage or steady the ship if required over the two legs.

Watch: Mario Götze still going strong

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3) League phase doesn't lie

It isn't always easy weighing up the chances of two sides who compete in different leagues ahead of a European knockout tie, although Eintracht's third place in the Bundesliga table heading into the final months of the season is a clear indication of how consistent an outfit they are this term.

The new league phase of the Europa League does provide a useful comparison of the two sides' fortunes so far, however. Frankfurt took an impressive fifth spot out of 36 teams, losing just two of the eight matches - one of which came away at Roma on the final matchday when they were virtually guaranteed automatic progression to the last 16.

Ajax, on the other hand, finished in 12th and only managed to squeeze through a subsequent two-legged play-off against Union Saint-Gilloise thanks to an extra-time penalty in the second leg. It is therefore very much advantage Eintracht - on the basis of their previous record in the tournament as much as on the first-leg win Die Adler clinched at the Johann Cruijff ArenA last Thursday.

Watch: Eintracht adapting to life after Omar Marmoush

4) Europa expertise

It is not that long since Eintracht lifted the Europa League trophy following an epic final in Seville, where they beat Rangers in a tense penalty shootout.

Those memories from May 2022 will still be fresh for the five players present that night who are still in the squad: Kevin Trapp, Tuta, Ansgar Knauff, Timothy Chandler and Jens Grahl. Having navigated their way to glory through tricky knockout ties against the likes of Real Betis, Barcelona and West Ham United, those players have invaluable experience and know-how could yet prove decisive. 

Watch: Frankfurt's Europa League victory celebrations in 2022

5) Fan power

While Frankfurt's legions of loyal fans turned out in numbers for the first leg in the Netherlands, that level of support will be just a fraction of what Dino Toppmöller and his charges can expect back in Germany.

The boost that a packed Deutsche Bank Park gives the side on a Europa League night was evident numerous times on their run to the 2021/22 final and 2018/19 semi-finals. Spines are set to tingle in the return leg in Germany, with the advantage of a packed house of around 57,000 fans urging them on. 

Watch: The Eintracht Frankfurt stadium experience

The Bundesliga side have also never lost at home to Dutch opposition. This may be Ajax's first visit to Frankfurt - the first leg was in fact the first competitive meeting between the sides - but Eintracht have previously seen off Feyenoord (4-1 in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup) and Utrech (3-1 in the following edition) on home soil to progress in both ties.

About the clubs

Eintracht Frankfurt

Deutsche Bank Park