CLUB SNAPSHOT: At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Club | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| League | Bundesliga |
| Manager | Adi Hütter |
| Stadium | Deutsche Bank Park |
| Nickname | Die Adler |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Leading Scorer | Younes Ebnoutalib |
| Strike Partner | Jonathan Burkardt |
| Wide Threat | Ritsu Doan |
| Young Prospect | Malik Pimpong |
| Key Concern | A successful strike duo and the temptation to disrupt it |
The Defining Moment
Eintracht Frankfurt’s forward line entered 2026/27 with a question that few clubs at their level face: whether to leave well alone. Jonathan Burkardt, the Germany international whose debut season at his boyhood club had yielded 15 goals and two assists in 29 competitive appearances, was the established reference point . Younes Ebnoutalib, the 23-year-old whose rise from fourth-tier football to the Bundesliga had been one of the previous campaign’s most remarkable stories, was the emerging force .
The defining moment of the season arrived not through a transfer but through a statistic. By early November, Burkardt and Ebnoutalib had scored eleven of Frankfurt’s fifteen Bundesliga goals, forming the most productive strike partnership in the division . Ebnoutalib, in particular, had been extraordinary: a hat-trick at Union Berlin on the opening day, five goals in his first seven appearances, and a Germany debut under Jürgen Klopp that vindicated every step of his improbable journey .
The consequence has been a selection dilemma that Hütter has managed with careful diplomacy. The Austrian’s preferred 4-2-3-1 accommodates only one central striker, and the two have shared the role, alternating starts and substitute appearances without complaint . The temptation, as the January window approaches, is to add a third established forward. The risk, as the Frankfurter Rundschau observed, is that “Ebnoutalib, of all people—the shooting star who has only just played his way into the foreground—threatens to become the loser of his own success story” .
This is the story of Frankfurt’s 2026/27 forwards: a homegrown hero delivering on a prophecy, a fairytale arrival who has exceeded every expectation, and a supporting cast navigating the most delicate balance of Hütter’s tenure.
Tactical Context
Hütter’s attacking system has been built around the strengths of his two central forwards, even as the formation has limited their time together on the pitch. The 4-2-3-1 that the Austrian has favoured deploys a single striker, supported by two attacking midfielders and a wide forward. The consequence is that Burkardt and Ebnoutalib have been competitors for a single place rather than partners .
The numbers, however, argue for a different approach. Frankfurt have scored 15 goals in nine Bundesliga matches, a rate of 1.67 per game, with the strike duo responsible for 73% of that output . Ebnoutalib’s five goals in 492 minutes represent a rate of 0.91 per 90 minutes, an elite return for a player in his first full top-flight season . Burkardt’s three goals in 563 minutes, while more modest in isolation, reflect a player still working his way back to full sharpness after the calf injury that disrupted his previous campaign .
The tactical question for Hütter is whether to persist with the single-striker system that has delivered results, or to shift toward a two-man attack that would accommodate both forwards simultaneously. The Austrian has the personnel to do so—Ebnoutalib’s physical profile and Burkardt’s link play are complementary—but the change would require sacrificing an attacking midfielder, and the competition for those positions is equally fierce .
The Forwards
Younes Ebnoutalib
Ebnoutalib is the story of Frankfurt’s season and one of the most compelling narratives in German football. The 23-year-old from Frankfurt’s Nordweststadt, a boyhood Eintracht fan who grew up in the club’s shadow, has transformed from a fourth-tier journeyman into a Bundesliga goalscorer and a Germany international within the space of twelve months .
His profile is that of a modern penalty-box forward: 1.87m tall, physically present, with close control in tight spaces and a poacher’s instinct that Klopp compared to Miroslav Klose . His hat-trick at Union Berlin on the opening day announced him to the Bundesliga; his Germany debut in September confirmed that the rise was no fleeting anomaly . At 23, he is under contract until 2031, and his value to a club seeking to rebuild its identity with homegrown and locally connected players extends far beyond his goals .
The concern is not quality but sustainability. Ebnoutalib’s minutes have been managed carefully, his starts alternating with Burkardt’s, and the Frankfurter Rundschau warned that adding another established forward would “above all, could slow down Ebnoutalib’s development” . His trajectory demands protection, not competition from another expensive arrival.
Jonathan Burkardt
Burkardt is the established reference point, the Germany international whose return to fitness was one of the season’s most anticipated subplots. The 26-year-old, a Frankfurt native who grew up supporting the club, arrived from Mainz and delivered 15 goals in his debut campaign despite a calf injury that required months of rehabilitation .
His profile complements Ebnoutalib’s. Burkardt is more mobile, more involved in link play, and capable of dropping deep to connect midfield and attack. His finish to the previous season—three goals in the final two matches—suggested a player approaching his best form, and Steffen Freund’s pre-season prophecy was unequivocal: “If Burkardt doesn’t get injured, he will score non-stop this season” .
His early-season output has been more modest than Ebnoutalib’s, but his importance to the structure is evident. The two forwards offer Hütter different qualities, and the manager’s rotation has kept both engaged and productive.
Ritsu Doan
Doan is the wide forward whose contribution has been overshadowed by the strike duo’s goalscoring. The 28-year-old Japanese international has started six of Frankfurt’s opening matches, accumulating 484 minutes and contributing one assist . His profile—direct, technically secure, and capable of operating on either flank—offers Hütter a different dimension in the attacking line.
At 28, Doan is in his prime, and his experience complements the younger forwards around him. His minutes have been affected by the competition for places, but his professionalism and tactical flexibility make him a valuable squad member.
Malik Pimpong
Pimpong is the long-term project, a 19-year-old Danish youth international signed in the summer . His minutes have been limited to brief substitute appearances, but his presence reflects Frankfurt’s commitment to developing young attacking talent.
The Frankfurter Rundschau’s assessment was measured: “Malik Pimpong needs a little more time” . At 19, he has time to develop into a viable alternative, but he is not yet ready to contribute consistently at Bundesliga level.
The Numbers Game
TABLE A: Frankfurt Forward Bundesliga Statistics (2026/27, first 7-8 matches)
| Player | Apps (Starts) | Minutes | Goals | Assists | G+A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Younes Ebnoutalib | 7 (5) | 492 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Jonathan Burkardt | 7 (7) | 563 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Ritsu Doan | 6 (6) | 484 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Malik Pimpong | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Note: Data reflects Bundesliga matches through matchday 7-8, adapted from FBref .
TABLE B: Frankfurt Forward Unit – Key Metrics (2026/27)
TABLE C: Forward Career Context & Pedigree
| Player | Nationality | Previous Clubs | Style Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Younes Ebnoutalib | Germany | Elversberg, Perugia | Physical poacher, close control, Klose comparison |
| Jonathan Burkardt | Germany | Mainz, Darmstadt | Mobile forward, link play, Germany international |
| Ritsu Doan | Japan | Freiburg, PSV | Direct wide forward, technically secure |
| Malik Pimpong | Denmark | — | Young development prospect |
Tactical Identity & Squad Balance
Frankfurt’s forward line is a unit built on an unexpectedly productive partnership. Burkardt and Ebnoutalib were not intended to be a duo—the former was the established starter, the latter a development signing who had spent most of his career in the lower leagues—but their combined output has made them the most effective strike pairing in the Bundesliga .
The concern is not quality but balance. The 4-2-3-1 accommodates only one of them at a time, and the rotation has worked because both have accepted it without complaint. The January window presents a temptation: Arnaud Kalimuendo, the French forward who spent the second half of 2025/26 on loan at Frankfurt and contributed seven goal involvements, remains a target, with contact never having ceased . But the Frankfurter Rundschau’s warning is worth heeding: a third established forward would “not only intensify the competition but, above all, could slow down Ebnoutalib’s development” .
The solution, the newspaper argued, is not another marquee name but “a younger perspective player who can be carefully introduced and help selectively” . Pimpong fits that profile, but he needs time. For now, the balance Hütter has struck—alternating his two in-form forwards, managing their minutes, and keeping both engaged—is working.
The Verdict from the Camp
Frankfurter Rundschau on the strike duo and the transfer temptation:
“Jonathan Burkardt and Younes Ebnoutalib have scored eleven of Eintracht Frankfurt’s fifteen Bundesliga goals. They are the most successful strike duo in the league. And yet the name Arnaud Kalimuendo continues to haunt the Stadtwald.”
Frankfurter Rundschau on Ebnoutalib’s risk:
“Of all people, the shooting star who has only just played his way into the foreground threatens to become the loser of his own success story. Eintracht, who want to create more identification again, should not let that happen.”
Steffen Freund on Burkardt:
“I believe he will soon be called up by Jürgen Klopp again. If Burkardt doesn’t get injured, he will score non-stop this season.”
Jürgen Klopp on Ebnoutalib:
“I saw his first game of the season for Eintracht and said to myself, ‘What a player! Where did they find him?’ There was no discussion among the coaching staff. We all immediately agreed: ‘Yes, we have to include him.'”
Where Next?
Frankfurt’s forward priority for 2026/27 is protection of a partnership that has exceeded every expectation. Burkardt and Ebnoutalib have delivered goals at a rate that few predicted, and their alternating presence has kept both fresh and motivated. The temptation to add another established forward in January should be resisted unless the right profile becomes available at the right price.
The longer-term question is how Hütter evolves the system to accommodate both forwards simultaneously. A two-man attack would sacrifice an attacking midfielder, but the depth in that department—Uzun, Chaïbi, Doan—suggests the trade-off might be worthwhile. If the partnership can flourish together rather than in alternation, Frankfurt’s attacking threat becomes significantly more potent.
For now, the focus is on the next match and the next goal. Frankfurt sit mid-table, their defensive record remains a concern, but their strike duo has provided the goals to keep them competitive. If Burkardt stays fit, if Ebnoutalib continues his remarkable trajectory, and if Hütter resists the urge to fix what is not broken, Frankfurt’s forward line is the foundation of a push for European qualification. If the temptation to add another name disrupts the balance, the most productive
