Bundesliga matchday 22 begins with a battle of the big-city clubs on Friday night as Hamburger SV travel to Eintracht Frankfurt. The visitors sit five points ahead of their opponents in the table in eleventh place, with Frankfurt teetering dangerously above the dreaded relegation play-off position. Both sides have struggled for form of late: Hamburg's 3-2 comeback win against Borussia Mönchengladbach ended a six-game winless run, whilst Frankfurt have won just two of their last eleven Bundesliga games, picking up just nine points in the process. Only bottom side Hannover have a worse record in the same period.
Hamburg impressive under the lights
Bruno Labbadia's Hamburg team will be looking forward to the floodlit clash on Friday night, having won three of their last five, with the other two games coming against defending champions and league leaders Bayern München. The same, however, cannot be said of Eintracht Frankfurt, who have failed to win any of their last nine. Their last success came all the way back in September 2012, when they beat FC Nürnberg 2-1 as a promoted side.
It's not all doom and gloom for Eintracht, who will certainly draw a degree of optimism from their recent record against the boys from the north. Frankfurt are unbeaten in seven Bundesliga matches against Hamburg, winning four and drawing three, a record that stretches back to January 2011. The sides played out a goalless draw on matchday 5 of the current Bundesliga season, but Frankfurt will have to hope for better up front this time round if they are to start picking up the points they so desperately need to lift them away from the relegation battle.
Bundesliga matchday 22 begins with a battle of the big-city clubs on Friday night as Hamburger SV travel to Eintracht Frankfurt. The visitors sit five points ahead of their opponents in the table in eleventh place, with Frankfurt teetering dangerously above the dreaded relegation play-off position. Both sides have struggled for form of late: Hamburg's 3-2 comeback win against Borussia Mönchengladbach ended a six-game winless run, whilst Frankfurt have won just two of their last eleven Bundesliga games, picking up just nine points in the process. Only bottom side Hannover have a worse record in the same period.
Hamburg impressive under the lights
Bruno Labbadia's Hamburg team will be looking forward to the floodlit clash on Friday night, having won three of their last five, with the other two games coming against defending champions and league leaders Bayern München. The same, however, cannot be said of Eintracht Frankfurt, who have failed to win any of their last nine. Their last success came all the way back in September 2012, when they beat FC Nürnberg 2-1 as a promoted side.
It's not all doom and gloom for Eintracht, who will certainly draw a degree of optimism from their recent record against the boys from the north. Frankfurt are unbeaten in seven Bundesliga matches against Hamburg, winning four and drawing three, a record that stretches back to January 2011. The sides played out a goalless draw on matchday 5 of the current Bundesliga season, but Frankfurt will have to hope for better up front this time round if they are to start picking up the points they so desperately need to lift them away from the relegation battle.
