If you're not a Bayern fan, you'll be happy about Leipzig's coup, which has called into question the extension of Munich's title subscription to eleven German football championships in a row. Finally a realistic chance for a change. For Eintracht Frankfurt, the 3-1 victory of the Saxons does not bode well.
Peter Hess
Sports editor.
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The opponents in the DFB-Pokal final come to Berlin full of self-confidence. Leipzig's mental weakness in knockout games, which has been observed more frequently in the past, is no longer an argument for assessing Eintracht's chances of triumph and entry into the Europa League before the kick-off of the final. Leipzig has proven itself to be able to deliver when it matters.
Which leads us to the question: What are the arguments in favour of the Frankfurt Cup victory? Above all, the experience that football does not always follow the laws of logic. From a purely sporting point of view, Leipzig has advantages. In the squad, i.e. footballing potential, in the current comparison of form and in the mental state.
No energetic band
The decision and announcement to hold on to coach Oliver Glasner until the end of the season and only then to part ways with him has led to a certain stabilization and reassurance within the team. The first team have not yet finished with the season and their outgoing coach, as their committed performance against Schalke 04 proved.
But the once again quite manageable performance also showed that the coach no longer knows how to convey his game idea to the players as convincingly as in the first half of the season, although he can now almost fall back on his best line-up. The energetic bond that connected Glasner and his professionals, as evidenced by the footage from the dressing room in the Eintracht film, no longer exists.
The interaction with the fans, however, does. It is a well-founded hope that the power of the more than 40,000 Frankfurt fans expected in Berlin's Olympic Stadium will be transferred to the Eintracht players.
Will this support and the memory of the successful Europa League final against Glasgow Rangers in Seville a year ago be enough as an extra kick to reverse the unfavourable omens? It is possible, but it has not become more likely due to the Leipzig coup in Munich.