Three key battles as Bayern Munich face Eintracht Frankfurt in DFB Pokal
By Kartik Sahni
Kingsley Coman vs Timothy Chandler
With Filip Kostic suspended for this crucial game, Timothy Chandler is the number one contender to take his position on the left flank. The American wing-back will have a dual remit of adding firepower during the attacking phase and keep track of Kingsley Coman’s blistering sprints.
Coman was a menace for Eintracht’s defense during their five-two defeat to Bayern on matchday 27. He used his pace and dribbling ability to get forward from the right-hand side of the park. He created some dangerous chances by delivering six key passes.
The Frenchman clocked a total xA of 0.4 and successfully assisted Lewandowski’s header from an open play. He attempted five dribbles with an 80% success rate. That is the magic of Coman’s touch as the speedster carried the ball progressively for 173 yards during the match. Chandler’s introduction at the start of the second half gave Coman more room to exploit the space in behind his adversary.
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Having said that, one cannot deny Chandler’s attacking threat. His arrival in the second half saw a slight shift in the balance of the game. Eintracht’s penetration into the opposite half improved. Despite playing for 42 minutes, Chandler registered an xG Chain value of 0.45. (Understat.com explains xG Chain as the total xG of every possession the player is involved in) While Chandler has rarely been picked by Hutter in the last few games, the cup clash on Wednesday presents a great opportunity for the 30-year old to cement his place in the starting XI.