WE'RE delighted to welcome German Football expert Raphael Honigstein to the site for the season thanks to our partner Unibet.
You may know Raph from his excellent work on BT Sport where he shares his knowledge of the European game and we're hoping he can make some of that know-how pay for us on MrFixitsTips. Best of luck Raphael!
Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt (Sat 2.30pm)
It was confirmed earlier this afternoon that Eintracht Frankfurt’s Niko Kovac will succeed Jupp Heynckes as Bayern Munich’s next coach.
Whilst he lacks experience of coaching at the highest level in club football, Kovac deserves great credit for the job he has done with Eintracht over the past few years, taking them from relegation strugglers to contenders for a Champions League place.
At the BayArena on Saturday it’ll be fourth against fifth as Kovac takes his side to Leverkusen, just two points above them with five games to play.
“That has to be the standard we hit for the next few weeks,” said Leverkusen forward Kevin Volland after their convincing 4-1 win over Leipzig on Monday night.
“It was talked about a lot that we’re not scoring goals any more. A game like that where we showed that kind of aggression, mentality and confidence on the ball was good from us.”
That impressive victory might have come at a cost in terms of personnel. Full-back Wendell sustained an ankle injury as did-centre back Sven Bender who’s been virtually ever present this season. Then there’s a knee injury for goalkeeper Bernd Leno who’s doubtful meaning Heiko Herrlich could be without three key regulars.
Eintracht’s Luka Jovic also sustained a knee injury in Frankfurt’s 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim where he scored for the fourth game running but he’s set to be fit for Saturday.
Frankfurt are having their best season in 24 years but on the road, they’ve started to struggle, losing their last four away games. Despite their injury worries, Leverkusen should just have enough to come through this.
Raphael's Tips
- Leverkusen 2, Frankfurt 1 (7-1, Unibet)
- Bailey to score first (23-4, Unibet)
- Home win (79-100, Unibet)
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and others. He’s a regular pundit on BT Sport’s European Football Show and the author of “Englischer Fussball: A German View of Our Beautiful Game”. His favourite food is Schnitzel, predictably.
