Frankfurt vs. Bayern: How do they stack up?

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The golden duo

Harry Kane was not only the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season, but Europe’s too. The Bayern talisman’s 36 league goals saw his collect the prestigious European Golden Shoe for the first time in his career.

However, this season the England captain has company. Five games into the campaign, he’s in an unusual position of second in the Bundesliga scoring charts. That’s thanks to Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush, who’s one ahead on six goals.

Watch: Marmoush scored a brace and set up two more as Frankfurt beat Kiel last weekend

The Egyptian has flown out the blocks this season - his second campaign with the Eagles after a mighty impressive debut showing in 2023/24 that provided 17 goals. All eyes will be on Marmoush and Kane, and it wouldn’t be a shock at all if both scored. It’s just a question of how many.

Topp job

Vincent Kompany will greet a new adversary when he shakes hands with Dino Toppmöller on Sunday, but it’s a man very familiar to Bayern. Son of the legendary Klaus, Toppmöller occupied the same bench as Kompany for just short of two years, albeit a seat further down.

A former assistant of Julian Nagelsmann, the 43-year-old accompanied him from RB Leipzig to Munich for a Bundesliga and two Supercup wins before going solo again at Frankfurt.

Much like Nagelsmann, Toppmöller has quickly crafted a reputation as one of the best young coaches in the game, and he seems to be only improving this season as he shows his prowess at making a team and partnerships click all over the pitch.

Kompany, too, is enjoying a wave of euphoria since joining Bayern and winning his first six competitive matches before a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen last time out. Even that game saw the Belgian come out with his reputation enhanced after a dominant display, meaning it’s hard to predict which coach will come out on top.

Mixed fortunes midweek

Both sides played away games in their respective European competitions during the week too. Frankfurt travelled to Istanbul to take on Beşiktaş in the UEFA Europa League, emerging as 3-1 winners. Marmoush once again found himself on the scoresheet after converting a penalty kick in the 19th minute.

Bayern, on the other hand, flew to Birmingham where they were defeated 1-0 by Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League. They put in a good performance but were unable to find the back of the net and with this loss, their record of consecutive games without defeat in the opening round of the Champions League (41 games) came to an end. Could momentum midweek play a part in this weekend's clash?

French fright

While Kane and Marmoush will enter the match with all eyes upon them, they wouldn’t be where they are without the star performers around them - particularly Hugo Ekitiké and Michael Olise. The pair of French youngsters have started the season in groundbreaking form, even after making headlines in 2023/24.

Olise arrived from Crystal Palace after a career-best 16 goal contributions last season, but this term he’s already halfway there. In fine spirits after an impressive showing for France at the Olympics, the 22-year-old scored on his debut and hasn’t let his foot off the gas since. Against Werder Bremen he registered two goals and two assists and is proving to be unplayable on his day. With Jamal Musiala to miss the encounter against Frankfurt with a hip problem, much of Bayern's creative hopes will rest on Olise.

Watch: Werder Bremen 0-5 Bayern Munich - highlights

For Ekitiké’s part, the striker is quickly proving to be an inspired signing. Joining on loan in January from Paris Saint-Germain he recorded four goals in half a season and has already matched that total as a permanent signing this term. His link-up with Marmoush has been a joy to watch, and Bayern will have to give them hell to keep the pair off the scoresheet for only the second time this season.

The man in the middle

Bayern provoked Leverkusen into arguably one of their worst performances under Xabi Alonso, and it was largely thanks to winning the midfield battle. The champions’ control centre of Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich are rarely outplayed, but at the Allianz Arena, they couldn’t keep hold of Joshua Kimmich.

The Germany captain played a massive match-best 124 passes with a 96 percent accuracy, and with four key passes he could have easily racked up numerous assists on the night.

Watch: The best of Joshua Kimmich

Frankfurt have options to stop Kimmich, particularly with Hugo Larsson and Ellyes Skhiri performing so well in the middle of the park, but they’ll have to be at their very best to stop another masterclass from the in-form Bayern talisman.

Mixed bag at the back

While Kimmich is locking down midfield, Kompany has locked in the central defensive pairing of Dayot Upamecano and Minjae Kim to great effect. The pair have started every competitive match so far this season - including when the Bayern boss switched to a hybrid three-man defence for the 2-0 win over Freiburg on Matchday 2 where Kimmich shifted between right-back and central midfield - and have conceded a league-low four goals so far this season (plus two in the 9-2 Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 1).

This stability in the heart of the defence is a welcome development following former coach Thomas Tuchel's consistent change-ups last season, but the question of what to do at right-back remains an open one for Kompany. With Noussair Mazraoui leaving over the summer, Kimmich not looking for a return to his old position and both remaining recognised right-backs - Josip Stanišić and Sacha Boey - out with long-term knee injuries, the new Bayern boss has been in a pickle.

Although re-purposed left-backs Alphonso Davies and Raphaël Guerreiro have been handy, taking turns pitching in on the opposite flank, Bayern will need a top-notch performance in the position against a Frankfurt side who will be going all-out to capitalise.

How will Toppmöller look to exploit this opportunity? With his very own left-back Niels Nkounkou (three goals, three assists last term), whose attack-minded displays have him in the top 10% - or better - for xGoals (non-penalty), total shots, xAssists, shot-creating actions, progressive carries and successful take-ons among full-backs Europe-wide.

The former France youth international is also battle hardened despite being just 23 years old - the Marseille youth academy product has turned out for Saint-Etienne, Everton, Standard Liège and Cardiff City - and the Eagles will be looking for him to bring both his undeniable quality and experience to bear in this crunch battle for top spot.

Eintracht have also developed a hybrid defence of their own, with the nominal central pair of Robin Koch and Tuta also joined by Arthur Theate often shifting inside from left, with Rasmus Kristensen given licence to go forward up the right.

The one big setback this season for the Eagles has been the early-season injury to captain and first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. If not for his fitness issues, he would be a contender to replace Manuel Neuer in goal for Germany in the coming months. 

Instead, Brazilian Kauã Santos has been given a chance to make a name for himself in a top European team. You'd expect he will need to be at his best to withstand Bayern's red-hot attack.