5. Eintracht’s solid defence

Contrary to appearance, Eintracht’s game is not purely about attacking and scoring goals. They also have a particularly solid defence – the fourth-meanest in the Bundesliga and the Europa League to be precise. Makoto Hasebe’s transformation from midfielder to defensive linchpin has given his career a new lease of life, while Martin Hinteregger, David Abraham and Evan N’Dicka have ensured only around a third of the goals Eintracht’s watertight rearguard have conceded this season have come down the middle, with the rest coming from wing play.

That will not be good news for Inter, who are heavily reliant on a single central striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Danny da Costa will have no qualms about marking former Wolfsburg man Ivan Perisic or Matteo Politano either, having established himself as one of the brightest wing-backs in the division, and a candidate for national team duty.

So while there may have been a few sighs when Inter’s name were drawn in Nyon, Eintracht have no reason to fear the 2010 Champions League winners who, since then, have struggled to make headlines in Europe.

Oh, and did we forget to mention that Eintracht are the best-supported club in Europe, with a vociferous 12th man travelling with them around the continent and who are set to make the San Siro sound like the Waldstadion?

Enough said. -