UEFA Europa League Group F: what Eintracht Frankfurt should look out for against Arsenal, Standard Liege and Vitoria.
Arsenal, Standard Liege and Vitoria of Portugal join Eintracht Frankfurt in Group F of the UEFA Europa League, so what can Adi Hütter’s side expect?
bundesliga.com has all the important information…
How they got there
Eintracht had a spectacular run to the semi-finals of last season’s Europa League, and they earned a return after ending their 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign in seventh position. Unlike last season though - when they went straight to the group stage - this year the Eagles started off in the second qualifying round. There they overcame Flora Tallinn of Estonia (4-2 on aggregate) before getting by Vaduz of Liechtenstein (6-0 on aggregate) and French side Strasbourg (3-1 on aggregate) in the final two hurdles.
Key player
Eintracht’s terrific attacking trio of Sebastien Haller, Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic have all moved on, so the likes of Bas Dost, Goncalo Paciencia and Andre Silva will now have to take up the mantle. Dost scored 76 league goals in his three years with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, and the 30-year-old could be just the man needed to get the Eagles flying once more.
Aims in the competition
Eintracht fans love their European nights, and the players certainly did last season as well. Hütter & Co. will be targeting a top-two finish in the group, and then strapping themselves in for another rollercoaster ride in the knockout stages.
Arsenal
Dates Eintracht play them
Thursday 19 September Eintracht 0-3 Arsenal (Matchday 1)
Thursday 28 November Arsenal vs. Eintracht (Matchday 5)
How they got there
The Gunners, who were beaten by Chelsea in last season’s Europa League final, returned to the competition after finishing fifth in the English Premier League.
Key player
Since swapping the black and yellow of Borussia Dortmund for the red and white of Arsenal, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has done what he does best - score a ridiculous amount of goals. In 12 Europa League matches for Arsenal, Aubameyang has eight goals and three assists. The Gabon striker struck 22 times in the league last season, and Eintracht know all too well about his prowess. The former Saint-Etienne player has scored eight goals in 11 matches against the Eagles during his career, winning seven of the those games.
Eintracht’s path to victory
In Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe, the London club have one of the most formidable forward lines in European football. At the other end of the pitch, however, Arsenal look less secure. They conceded 51 goals in 34 league games last term, and their defence looks leaky again despite the arrival of experienced Brazilian David Luiz. Eintracht will feel they can exploit the sometimes error-prone Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis.
Familiar Faces
The Bundesliga’s top goalscorer in 2016/17, Aubameyang netted a stunning 141 goals in 213 games for Dortmund between 2013 and 2018. Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno would have thwarted him on a few occasions while playing for Bayer Leverkusen (2011-18), while Greek stopper Sokratis was also a teammate at Dortmund (2013-18). Germany internationals Mustafi and Mesut Özil are also on Arsenal’s books, while full-back Sead Kolasinac spent much of his career at Schalke. Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka was a Borussia Mönchengladbach player between 2012 and 2016, while English teenager Reiss Nelson scored seven league goals on loan at Hoffenheim last season. Meanwhile, Kieran Tierney got his only goal last season in Celtic’s Europa League win over RB Leipzig in November.
Standard Liege
Dates Eintracht play them
Thursday 24 October Eintracht vs. Standard Liege (Matchday 3)
Thursday 7 November Standard Liege vs. Eintracht (Matchday 4)
How they got there
Standard made the Europa League group stage for a second year running after finishing third in Belgium in Michel Preud’homme’s first season back in charge.
Key player
The 10-time Belgian champions lost important players over the summer including goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (Club America), midfielder Razvan Marin (Ajax) and attacker Moussa Djenepo (Southampton). Morocco international Mehdi Carcela is still there, though, and - exciting with the ball at his feet - he’ll be eager to shine on the European stage. The 30-year-old has the ability to win a game all by himself on his day.
Eintracht’s path to victory
Standard have made the group stage in three of the last six seasons, and they just missed out on qualification for the last 32 in 2018/19 after pushing Sevilla and Krasnodar close. Les Rouches are poor travellers, but Eintracht will still have to keep an eye on attacking mifielders like Carcela, Selim Amallah, Maxime Lestienne, and Anthony Limbombe. If up-and-coming youngster Zinho Vanheusden is not fit in time, they need to target makeshift centre-half Merveille Bokadi. Young keeper Arnaud Bodart has been given the gloves after the departure of Mexico number one Ochoa, and both he and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic are unproven at this level. The Eagles will also have to draw on their experience of playing in tough environments, though, as Standard won all three home matches in the group last season and rarely lose in front of their fiercely passionate supporters.
Familiar Faces
Full-back Sebastien Pocognoli had a year at Hannover in 2013.
Vitoria SC
Dates Eintracht play them
Thursday 2 October Vitoria vs. Eintracht (Matchday 2)
Thursday 12 December Eintracht vs. Vitoria (Matchday 6)
How they got there
After finishing fifth in Portugal last season, Vitoria saw off Jeunesse Esch (Luxembourg), Ventspils (Latvia) and Steaua Bucharest (Romania) in the qualifying rounds to reach the Europa League proper.
Key player
Brazilian winger Davidson got eight goals and six assists in the Portuguese top flight last season.
Eintracht’s path to victory
Vitoria are outsiders in the group, and Eintracht will hope to pick up three points in Guimaraes from their opening away fixture. Portuguese striker Paciencia and Dutch frontman Dost - who recently left Portugal - should have plenty of useful information on their opponents.
Familiar Faces
Dutch winger Ola John was on loan at Hamburg in 2014.
