Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund: Prediction, Lineups, Kickoff Time | Bundesliga 2025/26

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Match Preview

The Bundesliga returns with a bang at Deutsche Bank Park as Eintracht Frankfurt host title-chasers Borussia Dortmund. The Eagles (7th) are looking to shake off a mixed end to 2025, which included a humiliating 0–6 drubbing by Leipzig and a stalemate against HSV. Dino Toppmöller’s side has been entertaining but defensively fragile, conceding 30 goals in 15 games. Conversely, Borussia Dortmund (2nd) sit just off the top spot with a rock-solid defense (only 12 conceded). Nuri Şahin’s men ended the year with a professional 2–0 win over Mönchengladbach and will look to pile pressure on the league leaders with a statement away victory.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Match Info

• Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 16)
• Venue: Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt (Capacity: 59,500)
• Date: Wednesday, 7 January 2026
• Kickoff: 20:30 CET | 19:30 GMT | 14:30 ET
• Referee: TBC (DFB Appointment)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Match Stakes

Eintracht Frankfurt (7th — 25 pts):

• Win → Moves to 28 pts; pushes them firmly into the European qualification battle (Top 6).
• Draw → A solid result against a top side; stabilizes the ship after defensive woes.
• Loss → Could drop to 8th/9th; goal difference of 0 is a worry compared to rivals.

Borussia Dortmund (2nd — 32 pts):

• Win → Moves to 35 pts; keeps the heat on the league leaders (likely Bayern or Leipzig).
• Draw → Two points dropped in the title race; allows chasers to close the gap.
• Loss → A major setback; second defeat of the season could see them lose touch with 1st place.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Team News

Eintracht Frankfurt:

• Chaibi F. — Out (International Duty – AFCON)
• Skhiri E. — Out (Rest/Selection – Midfield Engine Missing)
• Batshuayi M. — Out (Foot Injury – Striker Missing)
• Gotze M. — Questionable (Illness – Doubtful vs former club)
• Defensive Woes: With 30 goals conceded, the absence of Skhiri’s protection in midfield is a massive concern.

Borussia Dortmund:

• Bellingham J. — Out (Red Card – Suspended)
• Bensebaini R. — Out (International Duty – AFCON)
• Anton W. — Questionable (Thigh Injury)
• Anselmino A. — Questionable (Thigh Injury)
• Rotation: With Bensebaini out, Almugera Kabar or a makeshift left-back will need to step up. The suspension of Bellingham (Jobe) forces a reshuffle in midfield/attack.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Eintracht Frankfurt

• 20/12 — 1–1 vs Hamburger SV (Bundesliga)
• 13/12 — 1–0 vs Augsburg (Bundesliga)
• 10/12 — 1–2 vs Barcelona (UCL)
• 06/12 — 0–6 vs RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)
• 30/11 — 1–1 vs Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)

Borussia Dortmund

• 20/12 — 2–0 vs M’Gladbach (Bundesliga)
• 14/12 — 1–1 vs Freiburg (Bundesliga)
• 11/12 — 2–2 vs Bodo/Glimt (UCL)
• 07/12 — 2–0 vs Hoffenheim (Bundesliga)
• 03/12 — 0–1 vs Bayer Leverkusen (DFB Pokal)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

• 28/10/2025 — Frankfurt 1–2 Dortmund (DFB Pokal – AET)
• 18/01/2025 — Frankfurt 2–0 Dortmund (Bundesliga)
• 24/08/2024 — Dortmund 2–0 Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
• 17/03/2024 — Dortmund 3–1 Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
• 29/10/2023 — Frankfurt 3–3 Dortmund (Bundesliga)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Eintracht Frankfurt (3-4-2-1)

Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Amenda; Kristensen, Larsson, Dahoud, Nkounkou; Marmoush, Ekitike; Matanovic

Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1)

Kobel; Ryerson, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Kabar; Can, Gross; Malen, Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Impact Bench

Eintracht Frankfurt: Bahoya (Pace), Knauff (Wing threat)

Borussia Dortmund: Duranville (Explosive dribbler), Beier (Versatile forward)

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Tactical Analysis

Eintracht Frankfurt

Without Ellyes Skhiri to break up play, Frankfurt’s midfield looks soft. They concede an average of 2.0 goals per game, and against Dortmund’s transition speed, this is dangerous. Their best hope is Omar Marmoush’s individual brilliance and counters down the left flank through Nkounkou.

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund are statistically the best defense in the league (12 conceded). Even without Bellingham and Bensebaini, they have the structure to control this game. Julian Brandt will look to exploit the space between Frankfurt’s lines (where Skhiri usually operates). Expect them to target Frankfurt’s wide center-backs with the pace of Adeyemi and Malen.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Key Battles

• Marmoush vs Schlotterbeck — Frankfurt’s talisman vs Dortmund’s defensive rock.
• Larsson vs Brandt — Can the young Swede stop Dortmund’s creator?
• Nkounkou vs Ryerson — A clash of styles on the wing.
• Trapp vs Guirassy — Frankfurt’s keeper needs a big night to stop the goal machine.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Spotlight Players

Eintracht Frankfurt — Hugo Ekitike

With Batshuayi out, Ekitike needs to step up. He has the flair, but he needs to add consistency and goals to help Frankfurt upset the odds.

Borussia Dortmund — Karim Adeyemi

His pace is terrifying for high defensive lines. Frankfurt often push high at home, which could play perfectly into Adeyemi’s hands.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Prediction

Eintracht Frankfurt 1–2 Borussia Dortmund

Frankfurt’s defense is simply too leaky (30 conceded) to trust against a team of Dortmund’s quality (26 scored). While Frankfurt are tough at home, the absence of Skhiri in midfield tips the balance heavily in Dortmund’s favor. Expect a tight game, but Dortmund’s efficiency should secure the three points.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Betting Insights

• Borussia Dortmund to Win — Value Bet.
• Over 2.5 Goals — Likely (Frankfurt games average 4 goals/game).
• Both Teams to Score — YES.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — Where to Watch

• Germany: Sky Sport Bundesliga
• USA: ESPN+
• UK: Sky Sports Football

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund — FAQs

Q: When is the Frankfurt vs Dortmund match?

A: The match kicks off on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, at 20:30 CET.

Q: Is Jude Bellingham playing?

A: No. The prompt refers to Jobe Bellingham (or a fictional scenario), who is suspended (Red Card). Jude plays for Real Madrid.

Q: Who is the favorite?

A: Borussia Dortmund are favorites due to their superior league position (2nd) and defensive record.

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