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FC Midtjylland, a familiar name in European competitions, set their sights on advancing to the knockout stages of the Europa League. They are currently in 13th place with 7 points, having started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim. They then secured victories over Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-0) and Union Saint-Gilloise (1-0) before falling 2-0 to Steaua Bucharest.
In their domestic league, they remain in contention for the title but have hit a rough patch, losing 4 out of their last 5 matches before the international break. They will be looking to turn their fortunes around in their upcoming match against Silkeborg on Monday.
On the other hand, Eintracht Frankfurt is regarded as one of the strongest contenders in this Europa League season. They had a slow start with a draw against Viktoria Plzen but quickly gained momentum with wins over Besiktas (3-1), Rigas FC (1-0), and Slavia Prague (1-0). In the Bundesliga, Frankfurt is performing well, currently sitting in 3rd place ahead of their match against Werder Bremen. They have shown impressive form, notably defeating Bochum 7-2 and Stuttgart 3-2 before the international break.
Midtjylland is grappling with several key injuries, contributing to their recent struggles. They are missing midfielders Simsir and Osorio, top scorer Franculino Dju, striker Chilufya, and long-term absentees Marrony and Gue-sung Cho. Despite these setbacks, Polish striker Buksa, who has netted 4 league goals, is expected to play, alongside the promising Sorensen, who also has 4 goals.
Eintracht Frankfurt is also dealing with injuries, missing midfielders Hojlund, Larsson, Amenda, and Collins, right-back Kristensen, and Belgian defender Theate. However, they might have former Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike, who has 5 goals and 2 assists in the Bundesliga, available for the match.
The standout player for Frankfurt this season has been Egyptian international Marmoush, with 11 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga and 2 goals in the Europa League. His remarkable performance, including a stunning goal against Slavia Prague, has been a season highlight.
Recent trends suggest that Midtjylland’s Europa League matches often feature goals from both sides, with all of their last 21 fixtures in the competition seeing both teams score, including ten consecutive home games. While Eintracht Frankfurt does not consistently match this trend, they have both scored and conceded in 10 of their last 14 away games.
Prediction: Midtjylland 1 : 3 Eintracht Frankfurt.
