Preview: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. VfL Bochum - prediction, team news, lineups

Just two points separate VfL Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga right now, with the hosts currently sitting just above their opponents this Sunday.

Each team comes into the game on the back of a victory, bringing confidence into the fixture, which should see a closely contested match take place.

Match preview

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Frankfurt were busy in the Europa League during midweek, but it proved to be a welcome distraction as they picked up a first-leg victory in the competition.

The German outfit travelled to Real Betis and returned home with a 2-1 victory after first-half goals from Filip Kostic and Daichi Kamada, which will bring confidence to the group.

They also won their most recent Bundesliga fixture as well, which took place last weekend against Hertha Berlin, where Oliver Glasner's men were as dominant as possible in a 4-0 result.

That is the type of confidence and quality that Frankfurt fans will be looking for on Sunday, as they aim to establish a bigger gap between themselves and their opponents.

Right now, there is just two points between them, but the club could kick on and leave Bochum behind with a win, as they aim to remain in touching distance of European places.

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The visitors will also have hopes of making a late charge to try and earn a place in one of the elite competitions for next season, and that could begin with a win at the weekend.

Considering it is their first campaign back in the Bundesliga, the club are proving themselves to be a surprise package so far, and that is something they will be aiming to establish.

After being narrowly defeated in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals, Thomas Reis saw his team get straight back to winning ways last Saturday in the league with a 2-1 victory against Greuther Furth.

Maxim Leitsch and Anthony Losilla got on the scoresheet that day, which continued their impressive run as of late, as the club have only lost twice in their previous eight matches.

Bochum secured three points earlier this season at the expense of Frankfurt, with Danny Blum and Sebastian Polter scoring to win the game 2-0, and a repeat of that result would be welcomed by the fans on Sunday.

Team News

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After missing out in midweek due to a suspension in the Europa League, Goncalo Paciencia is available for selection, and could find himself returning to the team.

Ragnar Ache, Sebastian Rode and Diant Ramaj are all out of action with injuries for Frankfurt, but after a strong display against Real Betis, it could be the same starting XI used on Sunday.

It was Bochum's defenders who provided the goals during their most recent performances, which is helpful to the club since Simon Zoller is unavailable due to his ruptured ligament.

They were able to welcome back Blum recently, and he featured as a substitute in their previous match, while Losilla will find himself in the heart of midfield once again after strong displays as of late.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Hinteregger, Ndicka; Kostic, Sow, Jakic, Knauff; Kamara, Lindstrom, Borre

VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:
Riemann; Gamboa, Bella-Kotchap, Leitsch, Soares; Lowen, Lossila, Rexhbecaj; Antwi-Adjei, Holtmann, Polter

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 VfL Bochum

There is very little to separate these two teams right now in the league, and that is likely to be the case on the pitch this weekend as well, as they are very well matched.

While they will each be hoping to progress further up the table with three points, they could end up cancelling each other out here and sharing them instead.

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