Eintracht Frankfurt vs HJK Prediction & Tips
Eintracht Frankfurt’s fifth European group stage campaign in the last six seasons has got off to an inconsistent start, after beating Aberdeen of Scotland 2-1 in the opening match of UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) Group G, only to lose by the same scoreline to PAOK of Greece. A defeat during this stage of a continental competition is quite rare for Eintracht, as that loss is only the third in their last 14 UEFA group stage matches (G7, E4).
Since then, Dino Toppmöller’s men have returned to winning ways, picking up back-to-back Bundesliga victories before and after the international break. The 2021/22 UEFA Europa League champions will look to build on that momentum when they face HJK Helsinki for the first time, in their first meeting against a Finnish side.
HJK recorded a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen in their previous UECL match, after a thrilling first game against PAOK ultimately ended in a 3-2 defeat. They will need to start making it three from three if they are to be protagonists in what is now their sixth appearance in a UEFA group stage, having failed to advance to the knockout rounds in any of those previous campaigns.
Unlike the home side, things have taken a turn for the worse for Toni Korkeakunnas and his players in league competition, having just lost back-to-back Veikkausliiga matches for the first time since June last year. That makes their upcoming trip to Frankfurt an even scarier prospect than it already is, given that HJK have suffered defeats on their four previous visits to Germany, conceding four or more goals on each occasion.
Players to watch: Omar Marmoush scored Eintracht’s first goal in their two UECL matches this season, something he has now done in all but one of his last seven scoring appearances. HJK’s Bojan Radulović has also scored in both of their Group G matches so far, with both contributing to 16 of their last 18 goals after the break.
Key stat: Only three of Frankfurt’s last 13 matches have featured a scoreless first half.
Eintracht Frankfurt – HJK FREE TIPS
UNDER 3.5 GOALS @ 2.25
