Eintracht Frankfurt celebrated an exhilarating victory against Galatasaray Istanbul around Leroy Sané and Ilkay Gündogan when he returned to the Champions League. The Bundesliga club made the Turkish top club with the two German professionals 940 days after his last game in the premier class thanks to a strong performance with 5: 1 (3: 1).
National player Sané helped to shock Frankfurt: at his first appearance in Germany since his departure from FC Bayern, he prepared the Galatasaray lead by captain Yunus Akgün (8th). Eintracht, however, struck back, an own goal of Davinson Sánchez (37th) and hit by Can Uzun (45.+2), debut double packer Jonathan Burkardt (45.+4, 66.) and Ansgar Knauff (75.) brought the acclaimed victory and the first three points in the league.
“It was perfect tonight,” said match winner Jonathan Burkardt at DAZN: “It is an incredible start for the team and me. I can’t really believe it, I’m overjoyed.”
Coach Dino Toppmöller raved about the special royal class flair before his premiere. “We deserve the competition last season, so the boys should enjoy it a bit. I would like to give them this message,” he had emphasized. It was almost certain that the game would be an atmospheric highlight: at the first and only duel of the clubs in 1992, 30,000 Turkish fans flocked to the Waldstadion.
Eintracht Frankfurt manufactures Galatasaray
Even before the Champions League anthem sounded, which accompanied the SGE supporters with a large choreography, the club provided an emotional moment: Eintracht icon Kevin Trapp was said goodbye before the kick-off. The former national goalkeeper, who led Frankfurt in 2022 to the Europa League triumph, had switched to Paris FC at the beginning of the season.
Video: The Knaller Gate of Eintracht-Juwel Can Uzun
In front of 58,700 spectators, including significantly more than the announced 3000 guest fans, the motivated Eintracht quickly earned the first option thanks to its pressing, but Knauff failed with his Schlenzer (2nd). The first exclamation mark then belonged to the Turkish guests. After winning the ball in the middle of the field, Sané sent the fast Akgün into the depth, which still hit a hook and pushed past Michael Zetterer.
The Eintracht looked inhibited after the setback, a crashed cross from Burkardt (19th), which mutated into a shot on goal. Istanbul tried to switch around quickly after winning gains, but mostly remained too inaccurate. Frankfurt then fought for the equalization: Doan strongly conquered the ball on the offensive and ran towards the goal, his shot fake Istanbul’s Sánchez into his own goal.
Eintracht now pressed more. When Uzun thundered the ball from a few meters into the goal shortly before the half -time whistle from Burkardt and Burkardt himself headed for his first goal for Eintracht shortly afterwards, the mood in the Waldstadion finally exploded.
After the break, Galatasaray pressed, Frankfurt defended – and decided the game for a counterattack. Nathaniel Brown flanked from the baseline, Burkardt laced the double pack with a head. Later Knauff then screwed up the result.