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Matchday 23: Frankfurt does not use the Champions League chance

Matchday 23: Frankfurt does not use the Champions League chance

Only one win in the last five competitive games: Eintracht Frankfurt has lost its step in the race for the Champions League places. Even in Wolfsburg it is only enough for a 2:2.

Half of the Frankfurt players went head down after the final whistle. Only 2: 2 (2: 2) at VfL Wolfsburg – that was not enough for Eintracht to get back to within one point of the Champions League places in the Bundesliga.

The sixth in the table has now only won one of the last five competitive games. And he missed the great opportunity that the point losses of RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg had offered him this weekend.

“Of course we wanted to keep up,” said Eintracht goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, but qualified: “It wasn’t possible today. In the second half there wasn’t that much going on up front.” VfL captain Maximilian Arnold saw it similarly, commenting: “We had clearer chances in the second half.”

Ironically, Omar Marmoush, courted by the Frankfurters, gave VfL the lead in the 10th minute. Wolfsburg were the better team in front of 27,853 spectators, but gave up this lead within just four minutes due to a blatant lack of concentration in defense.

Reunion with ex-club for Kovac and Glasner

When Randal Kolo Muani (22nd) made it 1-1, two VfL defenders were bad. Evan Ndicka’s dream goal (26′) was preceded by a bad pass by Micky van de Ven and a failed header by Paulo Otavio.

Wolfsburg quickly shook off the two goals they conceded and earned Yannick Gerhardt the equalizer before the break (43′).

For both coaches, this fast-paced game was a reunion with their ex-club. Wolfsburg’s Niko Kovac won the DFB Cup with Eintracht in 2018. Frankfurt’s Oliver Glasner led VfL to the Champions League in 2021. Both were so happy about the unusual constellation that they were still talking over a TV camera on the sidelines when the game had already kicked off.

Game briefly interrupted

There would have been plenty of opportunities to continue this conversation. Because after two minutes the game had to be briefly interrupted for the first time because one of the two goals was not properly anchored. And after the Wolfsburg 1-0, the video referee checked for a long time whether the Egyptian Marmoush was offside or not.

The two mistakes before the 1: 1 and 1: 2 did not match VfL’s otherwise very attentive and tough performance. The Wolfsburg were a bit more grippy and determined than Eintracht for at least one half.

Marmoush (37′) and Jakub Kaminski (38′) had two good chances to equalize even before the 2-2. In added time in the first half, only the courageous intervention of the Brazilian Tuta prevented the next big chance for the free transfer Marmoush after this season.

Frankfurt’s Kolo Muani can hardly be stopped

The second round didn’t have the intensity and chances of the first half anymore. Above all, however, Frankfurt now controlled events and also had the best player of the evening on the pitch: striker Kolo Muani.

The 24-year-old Frenchman combines speed, technique and a physical power that makes him difficult for any opponent to control. In the 72nd minute, he set up a goal from Jesper Lindström with a fine solo, but that didn’t count as Kolo Muani’s spectacular move was ruled offside. Eintracht did not create more chances.

Source: Stern

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