Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner insists they can overturn the 2-0 first leg defeat to Napoli in the Champions League, despite missing key players. ‘They play a very aggressive gegenpressing.’
The second leg kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT.
Due to the fears of crowd trouble, tickets have been banned for fans born in or resident in Frankfurt, though at least 400 are believed to be making their way towards the city anyway.
“We would’ve liked to have our fans there and having their positive energy is a big help, but now we must concentrate on the game. I keep out of politics,” said Glasner in his press conference.
The Partenopei have one foot in the quarter-final after winning the first leg 2-0 in Frankfurt, but as the away goals rule has been scrapped, any win by a two-goal margin would force extra time.
“Napoli play a very aggressive gegenpressing style and we need to find a way out of those situations. They made the most of our errors in the first leg and did the same with Atalanta in Serie A.”
Eintracht Frankfurt make the journey without suspended Randal Kolo Muani and injured Jesper Lindstrom, making it even more of an uphill struggle.
“We are thinking of other solutions. Despite that, the team has given me good sensations in training, and besides we lost the first leg with those two on the field.
“We can score three goals straight away and then wait, or vice versa, or even go to penalties. I don’t want to seem excessively optimistic here, because Napoli are a very strong team, but these are our objectives.”
Napoli have lost only three games all season, slender 1-0 defeats to Liverpool, Inter and Lazio, sitting 18 points clear at the top of the Serie A table.