Matchday in focus: Eagles face fast starters | OneFootball

Leipzig have scored plenty of goals in the first half of games, with Xavi Simons playing a particularly influential role.

Tactics

In four Bundesliga and DFB Cup games as Leipzig head coach, Zsolt Löw has yet to deviate from a 4-4-2 formation. The four-man back line has brought extra stability to a defence that has already kept 13 clean sheets this season – a joint league-high along with Bayern Munich.

At the other end, Leipzig are most dangerous before half-time – particularly in the first 15 minutes of games. The Saxony outfit currently rank fourth in the league for first-half goals (27) and goals in the opening quarter of an hour of matches (nine). They are also a threat in transition, having registered 46 attempts at the end of counter-attacks – more than any other side apart from Eintracht (50). Seven of those shots have ended up in the back of the net (Frankfurt’s 10 goals from counter-attacks is another Bundesliga high).

Absentees

Eintracht are without Kaua Santos, Mario Götze (both injured) and Igor Matanovic (ill) for Saturday’s primetime Matchday 31 fixture.

Leipzig, meanwhile, are missing Péter Gulásci, Xaver Schlager, Benjamin Henrichs and Willi Orbán (all injured).

One to watch: Xavi Simons

Xavi Simons has been one of the Bundesliga’s most in-form players in 2025, with only Bayern’s Harry Kane registering more than the Dutchman’s ten goal involvements since the turn of the year.

Simons …

Key stats and runs

Eintracht remain unbeaten on home soil against Leipzig, winning four and drawing five of the teams’ nine meetings in front of their own fans. That represents Leipzig’s longest run without beating a particular opponent away from home.

The Eagles have kept three clean sheets in their past four Bundesliga games, while Leipzig have conceded at least once in each of their previous four league matches.

Forty-nine points is Leipzig’s second-worst return after 30 games of a top-flight season.