Eintracht Frankfurt v Arminia Bielefeld
Tuesday February 28, 17:30
Tuesday February 28, 17:30
A flying start for us in Portugal last night, as Arouca lost 2-1 at home to Belenenses to land our BTTS bet. I celebrated with a Portuguese tart, but don't tell my wife...I'm supposed to be on a diet.
To Germany now, and a David v Goliath cup tie between Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt and second-tier relegation battlers Arminia Bielefeld. We've reached the quarter-finals of the German Cup, and there's a place in the last four at stake.
Frankfurt narrowly avoided relegation last season, beating second-division Nurnberg in a two-legged playoff to secure their top-flight status. This term, impressive coach Niko Kovac has dragged them into the top half of the table, ably assisted by some excellent transfer dealings by those on high at the Commerzbank Arena.
The Eagles have hit some turbulence recently though. They have suffered three straight defeats in the league, losing to Bayer Leverkusen, Ingolstadt and Hertha Berlin. However, I believe they will bounce back tonight.
Their home form has been excellent, with that reverse against Ingolstadt their only home defeat since April. They have won three of their last five home games, including a 2-0 success against Darmstadt and a 3-0 win over Mainz. They are also welcoming back some key players - defender David Abraham and midfielder Omar Mascarell are both back after suspension, and popular striker Alex Meier is well rested after sitting out the game in Berlin.
Arminia Bielefeld managed a creditable draw at high-flying Hannover on Saturday, and former Stuttgart coach Jurgen Kramny is making a decent fist of trying to keep them up. This is their first clash with Bundesliga opposition this season, and I think they'll find it too much of a step up. Skipper and targetman Fabian Klos is a handful, but there isn't much for Frankfurt to be fearful of.
Bielefeld have lost five of their last seven games away from home (conceding 17 goals in the process), and I suspect Frankfurt will be fired up after their recent defeats. I'm going for a comfortable home win.
Recommended Bet
Back Eintracht Frankfurt -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at [2.51]
Back Eintracht Frankfurt -1.5 on the Asian Handicap at [2.51]
