Eintracht Frankfurt and in-form forward Omar Marmoush visit wounded Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday battling the weight of history.Eintracht Frankfurt and in-form forward Omar Marmoush visit wounded Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday battling the weight of history. Frankfurt have lost their past 10 games at the BayArena, last avoiding defeat in a 1-1 draw in 2014, when current Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was still playing for Bayern Munich. Despite that lean run, Eintracht meet the reigning German league and cup holders full of confidence. Frankfurt scored in added time to draw 3-3 at home against leaders Bayern last time out and remain a point behind in third.Marmoush has eight goals and four assists in just six league games this season.
On Thursday, the Bundesliga named him player of the month for September. Coach Dino Toppmoeller said Thursday his Frankfurt side “have the weapons to hurt the opponent”. “We’re really up for it. It’s always nice to play against an absolute top team to be able to prove yourself.” Marmoush started both matches as Egypt beat Mauritania twice in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying and was “still on a plane” as Toppmoeller gave his press conference. Unbeaten last campaign, fifth-placed Leverkusen have fallen back to earth this season. Alonso’s side have already dropped seven points in six games, having given up just 12 in the entirety of last term. Leverkusen have conceded 12 goals, already half of last season’s total of 24. They could also deprived of firepower up front. Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface, who boast four goals apiece this term, are both injury doubts. Wirtz was substituted at half-time in Germany’s win over the Netherlands in Munich on Monday and did not train on Wednesday. Boniface may not start having spent 13 hours on the floor of a Libyan airport “without food or sleep” before Nigeria boycotted their AFCON qualifier, complaining of “inhumane treatment”.
