Whether Bundesliga or Champions League – Eintracht Frankfurt is currently inviting its opponents to score goals. The result was a 1:5 (1:3) defeat against Liverpool FC, although Rasmus Kristensen still put the SGE in the lead (26th minute). Afterwards, Hugo Ekitiké (35th), Virgil van Dijk (39th), Ibrahima Konaté (44th), Cody Gakpo (66th) and Dominik Szoboszlai (70th) revealed the current enormous weaknesses in the Frankfurt backline.
Eintracht had already conceded 18 goals in the previous five competitive games, and to close the open barn door, Dino Toppmöller reacted before the duel against Liverpool. Kaua Santos had played exactly these five games and didn’t cut a good figure, so the coach put Michael Zetterer in goal again. That initially paid off, but the new signing from SV Werder Bremen was powerless at some point because the defense was too vulnerable.
“We did well in the first 30 minutes, but overall you have to say that we just have to grow up. Of course Liverpool are a good team and have a high level of individual quality, but first of all it’s about basic virtues – tackling, wanting to win duels and a basic aggressiveness. We didn’t have that today, after the 1-0 win we didn’t bring that to the pitch.”criticized sports director Markus Krösche.
Christian Adolph, sports show, October 22nd, 2025 11:24 p.m
Zetterer saves, Kristensen scores
Zetterer had to intervene twice in the first ten minutes. After a dream pass from Szoboszlai, the SGE goalkeeper won the duel against Alexander Isak and spread himself so wide that the “Reds” striker could no longer get past him (8th). Shortly afterwards, Isak completed a great counterattack, but Zetterer was there again in the near corner (10th).
And then his colleagues also refined the performance of their old and new number one. This time Frankfurt countered after Nathaniel Brown won a duel against Florian Wirtz. In his first starting eleven since April 10th, Mario Götze played on Kristensen, whose low shot clattered unstoppably from the inside post into the goal – 1-0 (26th).
For Frankfurt, the corners will be fatal again
Shortly afterwards, Zetterer saved his team again, somehow scratching Conor Bradley’s header from close range off the line in an outstanding manner (32′). But then his resistance was over and Frankfurt’s barn door opened wide. First, ex-Eintracht striker Ekitiké scored after he was allowed to run alone from the halfway line towards Zetterer to equalize (35th). After that, Toppmöller’s team made things even easier for Liverpool.
Christian Adolph, sports show, October 22nd, 2025 11:43 p.m
At a corner kick, Frankfurt allowed van Dijk to run unchallenged and when Gakpo’s ball flew into the middle, disaster could no longer be prevented – the Dutchman heaved the ball into the net at full speed to take the lead (39′). Five minutes later Szoboszlai brought in a corner from the other side, this time Konaté ran unblocked, again Frankfurt could no longer defend the situation and the score was 1:3 (44th). Eintracht had already conceded two goals from corner kicks in the 5-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid.
Wirtz with Assist double pack
Aside from losing the ball before the 0-1 lead, Wirtz, who was recently criticized, also had a lot of fun in the game – but the only Eintracht player in normal form prevented his first goal for Liverpool: Zetterer fished a Wirtz free kick from his corner (56th). And then the keeper made another strong save against Bradley when he was able to direct his shot onto the post (64′).
However, Zetterer had the problem that the people in front of him completely let him down – and so Wirtz from his team also helped. Because the ex-Leverkusen player was able to enter the scorer’s list twice, having only recorded an assist in his first competitive LFC game in the Supercup. This time he prepared the 4:1 by Gakpo (66th) and the 5:1 by Szoboszlai (70th). There was no resistance in either situation.
Liverpool shoots its way out of the crisis
This evening was important for Wirtz, but also for his team. The “Reds” had lost four times in a row before their trip to Frankfurt, including a defeat in the Champions League at Galatasaray (0-1). Thanks to Frankfurt’s weak defense, coach Arne Slot’s team ended this negative run despite being behind and can improve on FC Brentford in the Premier League. Next up in the premier class is the giant duel against Real Madrid (November 4th).
At Frankfurt, Toppmöller has to find the means to strengthen the defense again. The goalkeeper change didn’t pay off on paper, but Zetterer was by far the best player on his team and prevented anything worse from happening. “He did a great job, it was a great game, even if it sounds a bit strange when you concede five goals.”said Krösche.
On Saturday there will be the Bundesliga game against FC St. Pauli (3:30 p.m.) – Hamburg have lost four times in a row and only scored one goal. Maybe it is the right opponent for the currently shaky Eintracht.