Germany expects

  • by Staff Writer
  • Thursday, 5th May 2022

Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner is banking on the support of "the whole of Germany" for tonight's Europa League semi final.

Eintracht go into the game with a narrow advantage having won the first leg at the London Olympic Stadium 2-1 and will be hoping to finish the job at the Deutsche Bank Park on Thursday evening.

And according to Glasner, the entire nation will be behind his team. "We'll play to win from the get-go with our fans behind us," he said during his pre-match press conference.


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"Our strategy must involve causing problems to the opposition defence. We need an even better performance than the first leg.

"I get the feeling that the whole of Germany are Eintracht fans in Europe. There's recognition for our performances, but it's not about living in the past – we need to stay focused."

And with regards to the challenge posed by David Moyes' squad, Glasner believes it is imperative his team seek to extend their aggregate lead, rather than simply maintain the one-goal advantage they currently hold.

"We're expecting to face a West Ham team that will try everything to win and reach the final. I told my players that our focus is to play to win," he added.

"My orders are clear: we need to play forward and to put the West Ham defence to the test.

“Every player will be important. We have to function as a team and we can only win together. It's important that we support each other and play very disciplined defensively. We have to improve again in this area, compared to the first leg.

“The players have gained enormous self-confidence through their performances over the past few months. We showed that we can hold our own against big opponents.

“But the most important thing is that the players implement what we tell them beforehand. The confidence that has developed, coupled with the support of our fans, provides this great belief in achieving our goal.

“We are prepared for standard situations both in defence and in offence. We defended set pieces well in the first leg. [Goalkeeper] Kevin Trapp was incredibly strong in the penalty area and picked a few balls out of the air. In general, set pieces are an important means of scoring in football.

“In terms of physique and intensity, we're in the upper range in the Bundesliga. That works in our favour against West Ham. We have prepared well for their game.”

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