Stuttgart vs. Eintracht Frankfurt preview: Hosts targeting UCL qualification

Stuttgart will have the chance to clinch Champions League qualification when they travel to Deutsche Bank Park on the final day of the Bundesliga season.

Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Stuttgart

Albert Riera appears to be on the brink of leaving Frankfurt just over three months after replacing Dino Toppmöller in the dugout. The 44-year-old has overseen an underwhelming run of results, with his 16 league games producing four wins, four draws and five defeats. 

Back-to-back losses against Hamburg SV and Borussia Dortmund have dented Frankfurt’s hopes of securing European qualification for next season. Die Adler enter the final day in eighth position and one point adrift of seventh-placed Freiburg, who currently occupy a Conference League qualification spot.

A win over Stuttgart would see Frankfurt snatch seventh position if Freiburg fail to beat RB Leipzig. However, a draw will only be enough if Freiburg lose and ninth-placed Augsburg drop points against Union Berlin.

Die Adler know they will have to end a three-game winless home run if they are to claim maximum points on Saturday. They did at least emerge victorious in their most recent meeting with Stuttgart at Deutsche Bank Park in March 2023, when Mario Götze scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory. 

Team News

The hosts remain without the injured duo of Nnamdi Collins and Jens Grahl. Midfielder Oscar Højlund will miss the final game of the season with a toe injury. 

Predicted lineup: Zetterer; Amenda, Skhiri, Koch; Kristensen, Larsson, Dahoud, Brown; Uzun, Bahoya; Kalimuendo 

Stuttgart

Stuttgart will have the chance to retain the DFB-Pokal when they take on Bayern Munich in the final on May 23, but first, they will look to secure Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons. Sebastian Hoeneß’s side will enter Saturday’s final round of fixtures in fourth position after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 in last Saturday’s home clash, thanks to goals from Ermedin Demirović, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Deniz Undav. 

As a result of that victory, Stuttgart are sitting above Hoffenheim with a +5 goal difference advantage and three points clear of Leverkusen in the battle for a top-four finish. Stuttgart will hold on to fourth spot if they win, as long as Hoffenheim do not win by six goals more than their margin of victory. A draw will be enough if Hoffenheim fail to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach, while a defeat would require Leverkusen to drop points, and die Kraichgauer to lose and for there not to be a significant change in goal difference. 

Die Schwaben have experienced mixed results in recent road trips, having won one, drawn three and lost two of their last six Bundesliga away games. They can at least take confidence from the fact they pulled off a 3-2 victory in January’s reverse fixture against Frankfurt.

Team News

Finn Jeltsch is available for selection after recovering from a four-game injury absence. However, the visitors remain without the suspended Atakan Karazor.

Predicted lineup: Nübel; Hendriks, Chabot, Mittelstädt; Leweling, Chema, Nartey, Stiller, Führich; Demirović, Undav