It counts on Saturday.

In order to be prepared for the big duel with the notorious soccer champion, Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner still has a little time to continue working on things that didn't work as desired on Wednesday either.

It was the core discipline of football in which the Frankfurt pros still have significant potential for improvement, even for practice: the successful shot on goal.

Ralph Weitbrecht

sports editor.

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When a steel-blue sky stretched over the area at the Frankfurt Arena, the Eintracht players were allowed to let off steam to their heart's content in the last third of training.

Corners, headers, free kicks: the main thing is that the ball goes into the goal.

There was still a lot of room for improvement on Wednesday – just like in the past few weeks, when Eintracht repeatedly had to admit goalless defeat in the Bundesliga competition.

The turnaround should be successful against Bayern – as in the first half of the season, when the Glasner-Elf managed the coup from Munich and the champions were defeated 2-1.

Goal scorers at the beginning of October 2021: Martin Hinteregger and Filip Kostić.

Today, a good four and a half months later, one said on behalf of many at Eintracht, "that the mood is of course not so good".

Djibril Sow, one of the long-serving Frankfurt soccer professionals, named the weak points of the team on Wednesday.

“Recently we lacked the lightness,” said the Swiss.

His recommendation for the top game on the unloved Saturday evening (6:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky): "Stay positive." Sow's plan and that of his playmates: "We want to show a performance against Bayern that we're proud of could be.

To do that, we have to improve individually and fight as a team.”

More fans, no Jakić

Sow is one of the players who is responsible for the build-up play in the switchboard between defense and attack.

Not alone.

He always gets help from Sebastian Rode, Kristijan Jakić or Makoto Hasebe.

Depending on who coach Glasner decides.

Jakić will definitely not be there on Saturday, when 25,000 spectators are allowed according to the latest decision from the health department and will provide significantly more background noise and atmosphere.

The Croatian received a yellow card for the fifth time in the 0-1 draw in Cologne and is suspended for the game against FC Bayern.

Like against Cologne, Rode could be back in the starting XI.

The captain was absent on Wednesday for load control reasons.

The reason for the poor performance so far in the second half of the season is the lack of goal closure.

That's why Glasner had his people practice from all positions on Wednesday.

It took a long time to get praise for the effort.

It was only when the dedicated Gonçalo Paciência pushed in effortlessly and in the style of Anthony Modeste that the coach shouted loudly across the pitch: "Exactly like that." Sow later explained in an interview: "We have to tighten the screws.

The fact that there are finally at least 25,000 spectators in the stadium is a step in the right direction.

We hope this gives us a push.”

Sow is looking forward to the game against Bayern, who will have to do without Thomas Müller, who has already been infected with Corona again.

"We find it easier against the supposedly big teams," he said, citing the "three great games" against Munich, Leverkusen and Dortmund of which only the game against BVB was lost 3-2 after a 2-0 lead .

"In football, it's the little things that matter," Sow said.

“There are always times when things don’t go that way.

Then you have to fight hard for moments of success.” And keep practicing diligently – especially the supreme discipline of scoring a goal.