Eintracht Frankfurt’s Champions League campaign could hardly have begun better, as Dino Toppmöller’s side crushed Galatasaray 5-1 in their opener.
However, Eintracht’s next two European games ended in identical 1-5 defeats to Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, leaving them 22nd in the group standings.
After a promising start to the season, Frankfurt are generally on a difficult run at the moment, having won just one of their last seven games across all competitions.
Following elimination from the DFB-Pokal on penalties by Borussia Dortmund, a heavily rotated Frankfurt side was held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Heidenheim at the weekend.
They now face a Napoli team that also suffered a heavy defeat in their last Champions League outing. Antonio Conte’s side were shockingly beaten 6-2 by PSV, leaving them 16th in the group with four points.
Napoli, however, responded well domestically, beating Inter 3-1 and Lecce 1-0, before a somewhat disappointing 0-0 draw with Como at the weekend. Despite dropping points there, they remain top of Serie A, one point clear of Inter, heading into Tuesday’s clash.
Eintracht and Napoli last met in the round of 16 of the 2022/23 Champions League. Frankfurt will be targeting a different outcome this time, after losing 0-2 and 0-3 in that tie.
Team news and predicted lineups:
Napoli will be without Kevin De Bruyne (thigh), Alex Meret (foot), Romelu Lukaku (thigh), and Lorenzo Lucca (suspended) for the clash against Eintracht Frankfurt.
For Frankfurt, the weekend brought a notable setback as Can Uzun was forced off with a muscle injury that will keep him out for several weeks. Oscar Højlund (thigh) and Elias Baum (thigh) are also sidelined.
Matteo Politano is hoping that Napoli bounce back from their disappointing 6-2 loss against PSV Eindhoven last time out in the Champions League when the Partenopei take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday evening, and has explained how his side can get the better of the Germans on the night: ‘We will find more space’.
Napoli currently sit at the top of the Serie a standings, but have fared less well in the Champions League so far this season, currently sitting in 23rd place in the table with three points from their first three matches in the competition.
The Partenopei were humbled 6-2 away against PSV last time out in Europe, and now have an opportunity to respond when they take on Eintracht in Frankfurt, who sit level on points with Antonio Conte’s side after three matches.
