Florian Wirtz chatted with DFB colleague Nathaniel Brown after his assist double, then the national player treated himself to a big sip of water and was generally satisfied with his performance. Liverpool FC mercilessly and efficiently dashed Eintracht Frankfurt’s hopes of a magical night in the Champions League.
The English football champions with Wirtz led the Hessians 5:1 (3:1) and made things clear before halftime with two very simple standard goals. Even after the next bitter European Cup defeat, the Eintracht fans still loudly cheered on their team and sang proudly about the European Cup.
“We didn’t get into the game well again, then we pulled ourselves together a bit and turned the game around again. We know what quality we have in the team,” said Wirtz on the streaming service “DAZN”. “In the first half I struggled a bit to get into good spaces and unfortunately lost the ball before conceding a goal. I know that I can do much, much more. The second half was pretty good, but from everyone.”
Eintracht leadership remains a side note
Ex-Frankfurt player Hugo Ekitiké (35th minute) with a counterattack and the two defenders Virgil van Dijk (39th) and Ibrahima Konaté (44th) after corner kicks turned the deficit within ten minutes in the drizzle of Frankfurt on the third premier class matchday. After the substitution, Cody Gakpo (66th) and Dominik Szoboszlai (70th) each scored after a pass from Wirtz.
Frankfurt’s opening goal by Rasmus Kristensen (26th), which was initially euphorically celebrated, became a side note in front of 58,700 spectators, including national coach Julian Nagelsmann and tennis legend Boris Becker.
Frankfurt’s defense was vulnerable and flawed
For Eintracht it was the first competitive duel with the “Reds” in more than 53 years. Unlike in the two encounters in September 1972, Dino Toppmöller’s team managed to score a goal this time – but the once again vulnerable and flawed defense dashed all hopes of a surprise coup against the weakened English team with Wirtz, who was still at odds.
Wirtz loses the ball before conceding the goal
On the pitch he faced, among others, former world champion Mario Götze, who was back in the starting line-up for the first time since April. Götze struggled with injuries in the spring and had recently not progressed beyond the role of a reservist. But only Wirtz became a defining figure of the game – and only after the break.
The former Bayer Leverkusen professional had previously been noticed by losing the ball before the first goal conceded – Eintracht followed up with a remarkable series of passes, at the end of which full-back Kristensen shot at the inside post, from where the ball bounced into the goal.
Unlike in previous weeks, this time Eintracht managed to get through the initial phase without conceding a goal. Michael Zetterer, who Toppmöller placed between the posts in place of Kauã Santos, who had recently made a mistake, was also able to contribute to the stability. Zetterer saved twice against striker Alexander Isak (8th/10th) and also defused a header from Joker Conor Bradley (33rd), who came on for the injured Jeremie Frimpong.
Van Dijk and Konaté score from corners
But Zetterer’s saves weren’t enough to take the lead into the break. Eintracht moved up far too far and allowed Ekitiké to have a clear path to the goal from the halfway line – the former Eintracht goalscorer finished safely. When Van Dijk and Konaté subsequently took advantage of their opponents’ inattention and positional errors after corners, the game was decided.
Toppmöller not only brought Zetterer and Götze into the first eleven, but also put three key players on the bench in Farès Chaïbi, Can Uzun and Jonathan Burkardt. But the offensive wasn’t the big problem – as in the 1:5 at Atlético Madrid or the 0:3 against FC Bayern.
After the break, Wirtz turns up the heat
The 2022 Europa League winner conceded too many goals and too easy. The goalkeeper change didn’t change that. And that despite the fact that Zetterer was one of the best people from Frankfurt. He skillfully defused a free kick from Wirtz (55th).
When the 22-year-old then served Gakpo and the Hessian defense was once again far too open, the goalkeeper brought in from Bremen couldn’t do anything. A few minutes later, Wirtz replaced Szoboszlai, enabling Hungary’s star player to score his fifth goal.