What's behind exciting Frankfurt 2.0 under Toppmöller?

Twelve points in hand after the first five Bundesliga games and sitting pretty in second - you couldn’t really ask for much better as an Eintracht fan. The latest of their league results, a 4-2 victory against newcomers Holstein Kiel, was particularly impressive to watch. Not only due to Frankfurt's fight to take back the lead against Kiel, but to also finish it in style.

Beyond that, Toppmöller's charges are on a perfect run of results, bouncing back from a disappointing opening day loss against Borussia Dortmund where they lost - perhaps undeservedly - 2-0 at the Signal Iduna Park.

Since that result, the goals have kept flowing along nicely. Existing personnel have stepped up, meanwhile new arrivals have shown promise for the future. So, what’s led to this exciting form?

Watch: High-Flying Eagles - Fantastic Frankfurt

Turning draws to wins

Last season, Eintracht started the season unbeaten in five, kick-starting the season with a 1-0 win over Darmstadt. However, what followed was a series of flat draws which produced only three goals, pointing to Frankfurt being a work-in-progress under new boss Toppmöller.

That was then and this is now. The Eagles have picked up three points in all but one of their five games this term, and this turn in results is a positive indicator of not only the team's growth under Toppmöller but also their ability to grind out results where this would have been a difficult task for them last season.

In fact, they recorded a league-high 14 draws during the 2023/24 season, level with Mainz for that somewhat disappointing return.

Their most-recent victory against Kiel came as a result of two well-timed strikes from Tuta and Omar Marmoush in the second-half, with the Egyptian grabbing his second brace of the season.

Watch: Holstein Kiel 2-4 Eintracht Frankfurt highlights

Marmoush on fire

Overtaking Harry Kane in the league's scorer standings is easier said than done. However, Eintracht star Marmoush has done just that. Entering his second season with the Eagles, the 25-year-old seems to have found his spot with the kind of form he's showing in the opposition box.

Just a humble tally of six goals and three assists to his name in the Bundesliga, he's level with Kane for goal involvements overall.

With the arrival of Hugo Ekitiké, Marmoush has been given a freer role in forward areas and has been all the better for it.

"Omar has taken the next step in his development. He has many skills, especially his speed. He is difficult to stop in one-on-one situations and he now also has an eye for the man next to him," said Toppmöller after the big win away at Kiel. 

The 'man next to him' this term has been Ekitiké, whose permanent acquisition by Eintracht this summer is looking more like a bargain with each passing day. Though he has only one goal and two assists to his name, the young French prodigy brings a lot more to the table with his hold-up play and technique that generally isn't commonly found in players with his physique.

Watch: All of Omar Marmoush's Bundesliga goals 

Toppmöller adapting, Eintracht thriving

Toppmöller has always been highly regarded within German football circles for his tactical acumen, and last season - despite a far from ideal first term in the Bundesliga - he led the Eagles to a sixth-placed finish. The evidence so far suggests that he and his team have their eyes on a higher spot, competing for a UEFA Champions League berth.

Eintracht's approach in and out of possession under Toppmöller has centred around winning the ball high up the pitch, identifying and exploiting spaces in behind opposition lines and using the pace of their direct players to hurt teams to devastating effect. Therefore, versatility is a key factor for players to thrive in this system.

Frankfurt's teams of the past have been famous for producing effective direct wingers and forwards - the current iteration features the likes of Marmoush, Ekitiké, Farès Chaïbi, and Niels Nkounkou, amongst others. All adept at taking on markers, dribbling past into space and getting the ball into the box.

Encouraging numbers

All the relevant metrics show that Eintracht's approach is paying dividends. Close to bottom rank for average possession with 43 percent, the Eagles are as high as third in the league for sprints (1133). With players like Marmoush, Chaïbi and Hugo Larsson working tirelessly out of possession, it is no wonder that Eintracht rank as highly as they do.

Additionally, when you look at other physical metrics like intensive runs (3396) and distance covered (573.8km), Eintracht rank fifth and fourth respectively amongst Bundesliga clubs. They are also sixth for shots overall (71) with Marmoush accounting for a league-high 25 of those. 

As teams up and around them are elevating themselves through innovation in possession, Toppmöller's approach without the ball is setting up Frankfurt in the best possible way to challenge for European spots and possibly more.