If Eintracht win the cup final against defending champions Leipzig in Berlin on 3 June, they would triumph for the sixth time in this competition. Frankfurt would then even be the first pursuer of record title holders Bayern Munich, who were successful in the DFB Cup 20 times. Sebastian Rode, who was part of the Munich Cup winning team in 2016, was once involved in this. A year later, the current Eintracht captain celebrated the title in a Dortmund shirt.

Jörg Daniels

Editor in the sports editorial department

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If success number three were to follow for Rode with the Hessians as an employer, "it would be my absolute career highlight. It would be historic to win two titles in a row with this club," said the 32-year-old. In the pre-season, the Frankfurters were enthusiastic about winning the Europa League, as no one in the select field of participants had them on the bill for a long time, until the Hessians could no longer be stopped by anyone before the finish line due to their enormous willpower.

Rode's team-mate Jesper Lindström – who played 70 minutes in the final against Glasgow Rangers – has never won the cup, an additional incentive for the international. Because the Dane won the championship with Bröndby IF in 2021, the third prestigious award in his football vita would be added if he wins against Leipzig. However, it is still uncertain how big Lindström's active part will be in wanting to bring the trophy back to the Main after 2018. At the moment, it is a race against time for the nimble Dane.

Weeks-long injury break

One that the winger could lose after his week-long injury break in March and April, despite his great will to quickly get back into his old condition. The tear of two ligaments in his ankle, suffered in training, threw Lindström out of high-performance football from one second to the next. He missed six Bundesliga games and the cup match he won in the quarter-finals against Union Berlin.

In the six top-flight duels without the Dane, Eintracht never left the pitch as winners; even the only four goals she scored were a meager haul for the high Hessian demands. Lindström's absence caused Frankfurt, who had their wedding on the pitch in the autumn of last year, thanks in part to his goal threat (nine goals, four assists). With the tempo dribbler from Denmark, the creative players Mario Götze and Daichi Kamada had one more target player up front. In addition, the focus of the opponents was not only on goal scorer Randal Kolo Muani; they also had to be on their guard against Lindström's attacking power. His involvement made the team from the Main difficult to calculate.

That's why Oliver Glasner expects Lindström, who is said to be courted by attractive clubs from Europe, to have a better chance in the cup final against Leipzig, who have been finalists four times in the past five years. But the Dane's current performance is the benchmark, he will not be able to play a leading role on the big stage in the German capital, contrary to the hope of the coach. Even the Bundesliga game at Schalke 04 (2-2) did not help the winger on his way to finding his old form last weekend. After Lindström came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute, most of what he tried literally got stuck in the approach. The 23-year-old did not manage to use his speed and dribbling strength for the good of Eintracht.

He, who fools his opponents on good days, was unable to tear any gaps in the Schalke defence. As a result, Glasner's parade plan for the big season finale in Berlin has stalled with regard to Lindström. Step by step, the Dane should gain match practice after his recovery in order to be able to get off to a successful start in the final at the end of the season in Berlin. Lindström has played a total of 89 minutes in Glasner's last four Bundesliga games. Each of them showed that he is not getting going. Under the pressure of having to function again as quickly as possible, the offensive player does not find his rhythm and the bond with the team. Now he still has one opportunity to gain new self-confidence before the showdown against Leipzig: the final home game of the season this Saturday against Freiburg. It will give us a definitive insight into what Lindström is capable of on the home stretch of the season. Eintracht would like to see an explosion of performance from him.