Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday evening.
Both sides will be searching for a place in the last 16 of the competition, in what promises to be an intriguing encounter between the two sides.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 28th October.
- Kick-off: 6:30pm BST.
- Venue: Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt.
Eintracht Frankfurt team news
Frankfurt will be without midfielder Oscar Højlund and defender Elias Baum through injury. Højlund has suffered a thigh muscle injury and will be out “until further notice,” while Baum remains sidelined with a hamstring problem. However, head coach Dino Toppmöller confirmed that everyone else is ready for the match.
Rasmus Kristensen is back in contention after recovering from injury and offers mentality and strong tackling to the side. Mario Götze has also returned from a long injury layoff and provided great assurance, experience, organisation and communication in recent matches. Jonathan Burkardt will be hoping to continue his excellent form after scoring twice in the weekend’s 2-0 victory over St. Pauli, which ended a run of three consecutive home defeats for the Eagles.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Dortmund will be without long-term absentees Emre Can and Julien Duranville. Duranville has recently resumed partial training from a shoulder injury, with both players expected to return after the international break in mid-November. Manager Niko Kovač emphasised there would be no major changes to the side that secured a late 1-0 victory over FC Köln at the weekend.
Serhou Guirassy continues to endure a goal drought despite his bright start to the season. The Guinea international has scored just once in Dortmund’s last eight matches across all competitions. However, Kovač has backed his striker to rediscover form, stating: “Of course, I see that he isn’t scoring at the moment. But I also see how hard he’s working and that he gives everything”.
Form
Eintracht Frankfurt: LLDLW
Frankfurt found relief from a difficult spell with victory over St. Pauli on Saturday, keeping their first clean sheet in 11 games. Toppmöller’s side had conceded 23 goals in their prior six matches. The Eagles are sixth in the Bundesliga with 13 points, though they already trail league leaders Bayern Munich by 11 points.
The hosts beat FV Engers 5-0 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on August 17, one of six wins in 12 fixtures this season. In the Champions League, Frankfurt have experienced contrasting fortunes – they hammered Galatasaray 5-1 on opening night before suffering back-to-back 5-1 defeats to Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.
Borussia Dortmund: WDLWW
Dortmund have enjoyed a strong start to the season, winning eight of their 12 games across all competitions. Kovač’s side left it late to beat FC Köln 1-0 on Saturday, with Maximilian Beier snatching victory in the 96th minute. Their only defeat in 2025/26 came in a 2-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Matchday 7.
Die Schwarzgelben currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga, four points above Frankfurt. They have been impressive defensively, conceding just six goals in eight league games. In the Champions League, BVB have collected seven points out of nine, including a 4-2 win over Copenhagen last Tuesday. The visitors battled to a 1-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, with Guirassy scoring ten minutes from time.
Predicted lineups
Eintracht Frankfurt: Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Skhiri, Larsson; Collins, Uzun, Bahoya; Burkardt
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Svensson, Nmecha, Groß, Adeyemi; Brandt, Beier; Guirassy.
How to watch Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund?
UK fans can watch the game on Premier Sports 1.
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