Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen: Boniface and Tella to remain invincible?

Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella’s Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to preserve their unbeaten record when they travel to Frankfurt to face the Eagles on Sunday. The newly-crowned Bundesliga champions are yet to taste defeat in all competitions this season – an impressive run that now stretches to 47 matches, surpassing the previous record of 43 set by Juventus in the 2011/12 season.

However, Leverkusen have come close to losing their invincibility in each of their last two league games; against Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart last week. They needed late goals to avoid defeat on both occasions.

This preview will take you through the upcoming fixture and offer a potential prediction for the Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen clash.

Quick stats

• Leverkusen are unbeaten throughout the season, while Frankfurt have won just once in their last six matches

• The Eagles finished level on 50 points with Bayer last season. Almost one year on, the gap between first and sixth is a hefty 36 points.

• Frankfurt are enjoying a five-match winning run in home meetings with Leverkusen, including a 5-1 thrashing in Alonso's second game in charge.

• No pair of Bundesliga teams have ever met so often – 77 times – without playing out a goalless draw.

Match preview

When Eintracht Frankfurt host Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday for their gameweek 32 encounter at Deutsche Bank Park, the goal for Frankfurt is to snap the champions' unbeaten run. Xabi Alonso's side will aim to replicate a European achievement by avoiding defeat, while the hosts are eager to hang on to their sixth-place Europa League qualification spot. 

Borussia Dortmund's victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night guaranteed the German top-flight league a fifth-place Champions League finish, with sixth place securing them a spot in the Europa League the following season. This weekend's visit from the recently crowned champions is the first of three gameweeks in the 2023-24 season that Dino Toppmoller's team hope to maintain their current position in the German top division. 

Even though Frankfurt sit just five points ahead of seventh-placed Freiburg, Christian Streich's team would be under pressure going into Sunday's match if they win at second-bottom Köln on Saturday. 

Though they haven't lost in Hesse since falling to Stuttgart 2-1 on November 25, the home crowd have hope due to the Eagles' impressive performances at the Waldstadion. It will be interesting to see if that holds true against the champions, but the team with the best point total (28) in home fixtures and just one home loss this season should have high expectations for this weekend's result. 

Unstoppable for a long stretch, Leverkusen extended their winning streak to 47 games on Thursday when they overcame Roma in the Europa League semi-final first-leg match at the Olimpico with goals from Robert Andrich and Florian Wirtz. After that result, Daniele De Rossi acknowledged that Leverkusen are having a breakthrough year. Stranger things have happened in European football, especially since away goals are no longer counted. 

On Sunday, Alonso's team will return to domestic football. They are eager to make history by becoming the first team to finish a league season with 32 wins. That has been put to the test in recent weeks as Die Werkself had to rely on late goals to draw games against Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.

In the latter case, the champions overcame a 2-0 deficit to earn a point against Sebastian Hoeness's team.

By winning on Sunday, Alonso's team will have tied Benfica's European record of 48 wins across all competitions, which was set between December 1963 and February 1965. This brings their league winning run to 32. That adds to the pressure of visiting Frankfurt this weekend, but Leverkusen will back themselves to secure a positive result at Deutsche Bank Park. 

On the other hand, Victor Boniface has the chance to increase his goal tally. Despite having his minutes managed since his three-month injury layoff, the Nigerian international, who has scored 18 goals this season, has still managed to score two goals in his previous five games.

Nathan Tella, likewise, will likely get the nod to start against Stuttgart after starting three of the last five games for Leverkusen.

Because of his versatility, which allows him to play on either side of the wing-back positions and as a member of the front three, the 24-year-old has established himself as one of Alonso's most trusted lieutenants.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen H2H: Last 10 games

December 2023: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-0 Eintracht Frankfurt

April 2023: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

October 2022: Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen

May 2022: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt

December 2021: Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2 Bayer 04 Leverkusen

April 2021: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

January 2021: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Feburary 2021: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen

March 2020: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4-0 Eintracht Frankfurt

October 2019: Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction

Goals are practically guaranteed in this clash, as no encounter between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen in their 77-game history has ever ended in a goalless draw. 

Expect another exciting match, even though Leverkusen have ridden some late-game heroics to maintain their unbeaten run since becoming champions. Despite losing their last five visits to Frankfurt, Leverkusen will likely extend their remarkable streak on Sunday.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen predicted line-ups

Eintracht Frankfurt:Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Buta, Larsson, Skhiri, Dina Ebimbe; Marmoush, Gotze; Ekitike

Bayer Leverkusen:Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie; Tella, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Adli; Schick