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Buoyant Frankfurt aim for ‘perfection’ against league leaders Bayern

BERLIN: Despite their best Bundesliga season in decades, Eintracht Frankfurt know only something close to a perfect performance will help topple league leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday. With 22 of 34 games played this Bundesliga campaign, Frankfurt sit third and are on track for their first top-four finish since the 1992-93 season. Frankfurt’s 2022 Europa League win meant a first-ever Champions League participation. Another crack at the European elite from finishing in the top four this season would be a just reward for Dino Toppmoeller’s impressive side, who have rebounded despite the loss of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City. Up next is a trip to Bayern, who are eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and on track to win back the Bundesliga title. Frankfurt will be the underdogs on Sunday but have recent form against the German giants. Frankfurt held Bayern to a 3-3 draw in October, making them one of only four teams alongside Leverkusen, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund who have taken points off the league leaders this season. Bayern may have won only one of their past four against Frankfurt, but Eagles captain Kevin Trapp was not getting ahead of himself on Thursday. “We are third and Bayern are 13 points ahead of us, that speaks volumes. Trapp said the visitors “must get close to perfection in order to get a point or better there.” Bayern may be sailing in the league but they come into Sunday’s game after two straight draws and Trapp said the hosts will fight hard “so that a crisis isn’t declared in Munich.” Bayern look set to be without star striker Harry Kane, who was subbed off at half-time in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Celtic. Frankfurt have their own injury woes, with German defender Robin Koch out and

East Bengal Beat Punjab FC 3-1 In ISL, But Playoffs Berth Looks Tough

East Bengal maintained their newfound form with a 3-1 thumping of Punjab FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) match on Saturday. Dimitrios Diamantakos (15th minute) set the tone for the visitors with an early strike before Naorem Mahesh Singh (47th) and Lalchungnunga (54th) found the back of the net. Later, Punjab FC scored the consolation goal in the 62nd minute, courtesy of a fantastic strike from Ezequiel Vidal. East Bengal are now unbeaten in their last three away games this campaign as they kept their hopes for playoffs alive albeit mathematically.

Premier League: Bruno Fernandes Inspires Manchester United Fightback For Everton Draw

Bruno Fernandes inspired a Manchester United rally from two goals down to avoid another damaging defeat for Ruben Amorim in a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday. United were headed for a ninth defeat in their last 13 league games as goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure put the Toffees 2-0 up inside 33 minutes. The visitors had not mustered a shot on target until Fernandes' free-kick pulled a goal back 18 minutes from time before Manuel Ugarte's equaliser salvaged a point for United. More late drama was to come as Everton were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, only for referee Andy Madley to overturn his decision after a VAR review.

"Always Feel Pressure Because Of What This Shirt Means": Liverpool's Arne Slot

Liverpool head coach Arend Martijn "Arne" Slot recently shared his thoughts on managing pressure and the driving forces behind his team's performance in an exclusive interview with JioHotstar. When asked about how the team deals with pressure ahead of crucial fixtures, Slot acknowledged the weight of expectations at Liverpool but emphasized their focus on each match rather than the league table. "You assume that we feel pressure, which we do every single day we are working at this club, because we know what this shirt means, what the club has done in the past. So, we always feel the pressure of doing the best possible job we can. But we are not so much focused on what other people constantly talk about, and that is the league table," Slot stated, as quoted from JioHotstar.