Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund in Bundesliga MD16 Opener

Eintracht Frankfurt faces Borussia Dortmund at Deutsche Bank Park on Friday evening in the Bundesliga's Matchday 16 opener, with both teams seeking to solidify their positions after the winter break. The seventh-placed hosts, who trail the top four by four points with 25 points, aim to close the gap on their second-placed visitors, who hold 32 points but sit nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Frankfurt enters the match on a mixed note, having drawn 1-1 with newly promoted Hamburger SV in their final game before the pause. Hugo Larsson equalized seven minutes after conceding in the 19th minute, extending an unbeaten run in their last two league outings. However, the team has struggled offensively, scoring just four goals in their previous six matches and managing more than one goal only once in their last 11 games across all competitions. Defensively, they have conceded 30 goals this season, more than all but the bottom two teams. At home, though, Frankfurt has shown resilience, remaining unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga fixtures at Deutsche Bank Park, with three victories.

Manager Dino Toppmöller confirmed several absences for the hosts. Midfielder Ellyes Skhiri...