Niko Kovač is set to return to Eintracht Frankfurt as Borussia Dortmund prepares for their DFB-Pokal Second Round match. Kovač previously led Frankfurt to a DFB-Pokal victory, and Dortmund aims to secure a Round of 16 spot with a win over their opponents.
Eintracht Frankfurt, under coach Dino Toppmöller, recently experienced a heavy defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League. However, the team rebounded with a win over St. Pauli, thanks to Jonathan Burkardt's two goals, marking their first victory in three matches and moving them to sixth place in the league, four points behind Dortmund.
In Toppmöller's early seasons, Frankfurt faced early exits from the DFB-Pokal, being eliminated in the Round of 16 by Saarbrücken and RB Leipzig. Previous coach Oliver Glasner had reached the cup final but lost to Leipzig in his final match with the club. Kovač remains the only coach to have won the domestic cup with Frankfurt since 2000, leading the team to two consecutive finals.
In terms of team news, Toppmöller is expected to start Can Uzun and Burkardt after their bench roles in the last Champions League match. Goalkeeper Michael Zetterer may retain his position following solid performances, replacing Kauã Santos.
Dortmund, led by Kovač, is looking for a better outcome after losing to Bayern Munich in his previous return to Allianz Arena. Last season, Dortmund was eliminated from the cup at this stage by VfL Wolfsburg. Kovač managed to secure a Champions League qualification for Dortmund with a strong finish in the Bundesliga last season.
This season, Dortmund has only lost once in their first eight league matches and remains in the top four after a recent win over Köln. They have also started their Champions League campaign strongly, accumulating seven points and scoring four goals in each of their first three matches.
In terms of lineup predictions, Frankfurt is expected to field Zetterer; Kristensen, Koch (captain), Theate; Doan, Chaibi, Skhiri, Brown; Knauff, Uzun; Burkardt. Dortmund's predicted lineup includes Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck (captain), Bensebaini; Yan Couto, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson; Adeyemi, Brandt; Guirassy.
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