Bundesliga: Champions League Football at Stake in This Six-Pointer

RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt

The appeal of Champions League football is undeniable for a lot of top football clubs. Not only do they get to play against the best Europe has to offer, but the amount of exposure the prestigious tournament can provide means potential new fans for any side aiming to become the best.

With this in mind, many of the clubs in the Bundesliga can only dream of competing with the giants by making it to the Champions League spots in the table. All of the four spots are seemingly taken at this point in the season, but the six-pointer between Frankfurt and Leipzig will allow Wolfsburg, Leverkusen and Hoffenheim to aim for fourth.

These teams will root for Frankfurt, but the Red Bulls of Leipzig are tough opponents to take down.

Talking Points

Leipzig and the Sisyphean obstacle of domestic dominance

It’s no secret that Leipzig crave for legitimacy and acceptance in the world they move in. Given that the football-mad nation has a community-centric footballing culture, it’s understandable why Leipzig’s progressive (and possibly problematic) approach to running their football club is vilified.

The only way they can get everyone else to recognise the work they are doing is either by winning the league or consistent qualification in the Champions League. Both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich have proven themselves as foils to their title hopes and Bundesliga 2019 odds, Champions League is the easier route to legitimacy.

Their first match of the year ended in disappointment for the Red Bulls, but their opponents were the league leaders. Their games since then have been one-sided affairs that saw them dominate their opponents. They are clearly more than capable of handling Frankfurt away from the Red Bull Arena.

As expected, there is a plethora of young talent in this football club. Tyler Adams is making a splash since making the jump from New York Red Bulls to Leipzig. Yusuf Poulsen and Timo Werner are still strong up front, while Willi Orban and Marcel Halstenberg are providing good cover from the back.

This match is Leipzig’s to lose, and I don’t think they’ll slip here without a sudden collapse in form.

Frankfurt hunger for Champions League

Can Luka Jovic lead Eintracht Frankfurt in disappointing Bundesliga 2019 Odds? — Luka Jovic in action for Wolfsburg during their last match vs Borussia Dortmund

Ask any SBOBET fan with a good knowledge of the Bundesliga about Eintracht Frankfurt, and they will tell you about how the club is on course to taste Champions League football for the first time in over a decade.

Fans familiar with the team know that they have struggled to stay in the league, always spending spells in the 2.Bundesliga. They always manage to come back to the league with strong seasons, but they always fall flat on their faces as they struggle in relegation.

The Eagles almost dropped back to the second tier in 2016, but they managed to pull off a fantastic escape by winning the relegation playoff. They have since then flourished, steadily climbing up the table over the past three seasons with the consistency that many of the Eintracht faithful haven’t seen in a long time.

Sure, they can still lose horribly against the biggest teams in the league. However, their most recent draw with Borussia Dortmund is a testament to the growth the team is experiencing under Adolf Hutter this season.

Three men stand at the centre of Frankfurt’s achievements. Sebastien Haller, Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic are bringing in the goals for the team to place them as the fourth-best attacking outfit in the league. Filip Kostic and Danny da Costa are also contributing to the team’s strong run this season.

They should be able to put up an admirable resistance to Leipzig.

History

As Leipzig have only been in the Bundesliga for a little more than two years, there’s little to no history between the two clubs. However, Leipzig have performed well enough to command a decent head-to-head record: the Red Bulls won two of their five recent matches. Frankfurt won one, and the remaining two games were drawn.

Their recent form paints a different picture. Both teams are undefeated in their last three games in all competitions, but Frankfurt drew two of those games.

Betting Tip

	RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt	RB Leipzig Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.07
	February 9 22:30 (GMT+8)

I personally believe that the four teams at the top of the Bundesliga table are playing a different game in comparison to the rest of the playing field. While the league is still as competitive as ever, there’s no question that the four teams at the top are playing especially attractive football.

RB Leipzig have quality players and a fantastic system that ensures they get the goals they need. While Frankfurt have some outstanding attacking talent, it’s undeniable that the Red Bulls simply have the better squad in general. They should be able to hold onto the last Champions League spot without any problem.

The Eagles will be making a lot of Bundesliga 2019 news stories if they manage to pull off an upset, though.