Eintracht Frankfurt came close to clinching their first major trophy in two decades but ultimately had to settle for a midtable finish in the Bundesliga this season. Frankfurt had kicked off the campaign as one of the favorites to struggle against relegation but enjoyed an excellent first half of the season as a tight defense helped them emerge as surprise challengers for a Champions League qualification spot. Coach Niko Kovac had helped Frankfurt just about maintain their status as a Bundesliga team last season and the 45-year old spent a busy summer overhauling the squad, though majority of the arrivals were on loan deals. Despite having had to deal with major injury crisis throughout the campaign, with Frankfurt missing nearly half of their first team at one time, they put up some excellent displays which included wins over Schalke, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, to ensure that they headed into the winter break sitting in the top four of the league table. Frankfurt continued impress after the winter break, winning two of their opening three games of the new year, but a 0-3 reverse at Bayer Leverkusen triggered a slump in form as Frankfurt ended the campaign with just one more win from their final 15 games which dashed their hopes of a European qualification spot and they finished 11th in the league table.
However, kind draws in the DFB Cup meant that Frankfurt had a chance to cap off the season with silverware as a narrow win over Borussia Monchengladbach helped them book a place in the final where, despite putting up a good display against Borussia Dortmund, Frankfurt were not able to avoid a defeat and ended the season empty handed. Kovac would have taken a midtable position before the campaign but will feel an opportunity lost to secure qualification to Europe. With a number of loanees returning back to their clubs, Frankfurt once again face a rebuilding job in the summer, especially in the attack where Haris Seferovic and Branimir Hrgota failed to impress while question marks persist over Alexander Meier's fitness after the midfielder spent large portions of the campaign on the sidelines.
