RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt - Niko Kovac targets Eintracht Frankfurt win at Leipzig's home fortress
Posted Friday, January 20, 2017 by PA
Niko Kovac insists Eintracht Frankfurt will not sit back as they bid to end Leipzig's unbeaten home record on Saturday.
The Bundesliga resumes this weekend after the winter break with both sides aiming to pick up where they left off in the first half of the season.
Leipzig are three points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the table after their promotion from the second tier last summer, while Frankfurt are seven points further back in fourth.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's Leipzig have won six of their seven games at the Red Bull Arena but Kovac will not set his side up to take a draw.
"We are looking forward to it even though we know where we're going," Kovac said at his pre-match press conference.
"We need to be wide awake. Leipzig play at a fast pace and we have to contain them.
"I am confident that we will stand up tomorrow. We want to take the points.
"My task is to send 11 people out that give everything. If we get the points, we've done everything correctly."
Kovac will be without midfielder Marco Fabian and striker Haris Seferovic but teenager Max Besuschkow could make his Frankfurt debut after impressing his manager at the club's training camp.
Hasenhuttl, without suspended star winger Emil Forsberg this weekend, is well aware of the threat posed by this weekend's visitors, saying: "Frankfurt have been doing well so far this season. We are expecting to face a very physical side.
"Emil Forsberg's absence obviously has a big impact but we have enough depth in our squad to make up for it."
Leipzig were the Bundesliga's surprise package before Christmas and will aim to secure European qualification in the second half of the campaign.
The club lost two of their last three games before the break but that has not dampened Willi Orban's enthusiasm for the Frankfurt clash.
"We are really excited for the return of the Bundesliga," said the centre-back. "We can't wait for things to get competitive again.
"Alex Meier is dangerous in the box. We will have to defend well to stop them from creating chances."
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