Eintracht Frankfurt vs Basel Predictions

• Frankfurt have scored in three out of four at home in the Europa League this season.
• On their travels in the Europa League this term, Basel have found the net in three out of four.
• Three or more goals have been scored in 100% of Frankfurt’s home UEL matches this term.

No shortage of goals for hosts

Semi-finalists of this competition last season, Frankfurt come into this fixture off the back of beating Salzburg in the previous round, thanks to a devastating home win in the first leg. Manager Adi Hütter will be looking for more of the same on Thursday.

The way in which Frankfurt simply battered Salzburg in the first leg of the previous round was impressive. They got on the front foot, were positive in their approach, while they were also a huge threat on the break once an advantage had been obtained. Scoring goals has been part and parcel of Frankfurt’s game in Europe this season, especially at home. They’ve notched two or more at home against Salzburg, Guimaraes and Liege, as well as against Strasbourg in qualifying.

It is perhaps worrying that Thursday’s hosts are without a clean sheet since the competition entered the group stages. Arsenal, Guimaraes, Liege and Salzburg have all scored at Commerzbank-Arena, so there’s certainly hope for the visitors.

Visitors had an easy ride so far

Without taking anything away from their achievement of reaching the last 16, Basel have had something of an easy ride. Being drawn against limited opposition in APOEL was never going to provide the Swiss side with the sternest of tests, and they predictably made light work of progressing. It will be interesting to see how they fare now up against opposition of a higher calibre.

Away from home, Basel have delivered something of a mixed bag in the Europa League this season. They clinched victory away at Getafe, which as La Liga teams have found out this season, isn’t easy to do, though they failed to beat Krasnodar and Trabzonspor, both of whom failed to progress from the groups, losing 1-0 in Russia and drawing 2-2 in Turkey.

High-scoring game incoming

Frankfurt are no strangers to seeing the goals fly in at Commerzbank-Arena and the hosts are fancied to serve up more of the same on Thursday evening. The betting angle that appeals most is ‘Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score’. The hosts have scored left, right and centre at home in this competition in recent times, but clean sheets have eluded them, while Basel have only failed to score in one out of four away in Europe this season. Add in that at least four goals have been scored in each of Frankfurt’s four home UEL matches and supporting the goals to flow is hard to avoid.

In the ‘Correct Score’ market, a 2-1 win for the hosts appeals. Frankfurt have twice scored two goals at home in the UEL this season, while the visitors conceded twice away at Trabzonspor and were fortunate not to concede twice against Krasnodar. The hosts have also conceded a single goal in half of their home matches in this competition.