Eintracht Frankfurt was behind twice against Borussia Dortmund, and the SGE even scored what was supposed to be the winning goal in added time, but BVB still had one more up their sleeve. At the start of the 16th Bundesliga matchday, the two European contenders deservedly split 3-3 (1-1).
Maximilian Beier (10th minute) and Felix Nmecha (68th) each gave Dortmund the lead, Can Uzun (22nd, penalty kick) and Younes Ebnoutalib (72nd) – after an assist from Arnaud Kalimuendo – equalized for Eintracht. In stoppage time, Mo Dahoud caused Frankfurt to celebrate (90+2), but Carney Chukwuemeka still managed to score the final point (90+6).
“There was a lot going on in the last few minutes”said BVB keeper Gregor Kobel on the sports show microphone: “We can leave the pitch with a good feeling at the end, but of course we actually want to win the game. I think getting three goals – we have to work on that. That’s not something that has distinguished us so far and we have to get back to our stability quickly.”
Uzun’s penalty counters Beier’s early goal
The Frankfurt team, who also had Elversberg newcomer Ebnoutalib in the starting line-up alongside goal scorer Uzun and goalkeeper returnee Kaua Santos, had big plans and started off briskly, but soon fell behind: After a great long ball from Nico Schlotterbeck from the build-up, well out to the right side, Julian Ryerson started towards the baseline and brought the ball sharply into the middle, where Beier hit the ball directly and unstoppably into the short one at full speed Eck drosch (10th). Beier was given priority over Karim Adeyemi, who initially sat on the bench.
But Eintracht hardly seemed shocked and put BVB directly under pressure. After a good quarter of an hour, the very active Uzun shot low from the right edge of the penalty area to the far corner, forcing Gregor Kobel to make his first good save of the game. Shortly afterwards, Ansgar Knauff was denied by the Swiss goalkeeper from a difficult angle on the left. But Kobel’s tasks didn’t get any easier: Serhou Guirassy behaved clumsily in his own penalty area during an extended throw-in in the middle and fouled Robin Koch, which resulted in a penalty. This time Kobel had no chance and was loaded by Uzun – 1:1 (22nd).
Intense game – fair draw at the break
After the lively start, the pace of the game dropped noticeably. It took until the 39th minute before things got dicey again in one of the penalty areas: Schlotterbeck was fairly free to head the ball after a free-kick cross from the right, but Kaua Santos was down in a flash and prevented the score from making it 1-2. But the encounter remained one thing: highly intense. By the break, three players had already seen the yellow card and even after that there were several crunches in one or two duels. In keeping with performance, we went into the break with a draw.
Furious start to the second half
The SGE gave Dortmund a real boost right after the restart: first Ebnoutalib headed just wide of the goal (47th), then a dangerous Knauff cross, which ultimately no one could reach, caused an alarm in the BVB penalty area (49th). On the other hand, Niko Kovac’s team, which was not yet fully present again, got some important relief thanks to a shot from Daniel Svensson (52′). Shortly afterwards it was Eintracht again: Knauff got the ball on the right side of the penalty area and shot low and hard, but Kobel was quickly down and increasingly became Dortmund’s best player on the pitch (54th).
It went back and forth, Sabitzer was just about blocked by Theate when attempting a shot from the backcourt, then Kaua Santos saved a header from Waldemar Anton (59′). The third goal was in the air, the only question seemed to be who would score it.
Nmecha scores, but two debutants answer
In order to increase their own chances of scoring this third goal, both coaches made substitutions: Kovac brought on Fabio Silva for the once again hapless Guirassy, while Uzun had to go down at Frankfurt, and new signing Arnaud Kalimuendo made his Bundesliga debut. But neither of them was the answer to the question wafting through the stadium. Instead it was: Felix Nmecha. Arthur Theate weakly cleared the ball from the center of his own penalty area right into Nmecha’s foot, who didn’t hesitate for long and aimed it flat at the far corner – Kaua Santos might have been there, but Hugo Larsson unstoppably deflected the ball onto the inside post from where it rolled over the line (68th).
But as with 0-1, Frankfurt put up the deficit outstandingly. Kalimuendo fed the energetic Ebnoutalib, who handled the ball with his sole in his first Bundesliga game and remained as cool in front of Kobel as a striker with 200 first league games – the equalizer again (72nd). The combination of the two debutants made the stadium escalate,”an indescribable feeling”said Ebnoutalib after the game. Shortly afterwards, the arena held its collective breath when an unfortunate clearance by Kaua Santos and Theate almost led to an own goal, but Nathaniel Brown scratched the ball off the line (77th).
Chukwuemeka and Dahoud score in stoppage time
It seemed as if neither team would push for the winning goal again in the final phase, but in the 90th minute Schlotterbeck headed the crossbar again after a corner. Dortmund were unlucky – and then twice, because when the substitute ex-Dortmunder Dahoud shot from distance shortly afterwards, the wonderful shot also flew onto the aluminum, but it bounced off the inside post and into the goal to make it 3-2, which was thunderously celebrated.
The final point? No. Substitute Chukwuemeka somehow had the ball fall at his feet in the Dortmund penalty area in the last minute after a cross from Sabitzer and, in keeping with his performance, the score was deservedly 3-3 at the end of a crazy start to the 2026 Bundesliga year. “I think it was a spectacle for every spectator at home and the people in the stadium.”summarized Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller and said, “If you leave out the emotions at the end and look at the game afterwards, it’s a fair result.”
Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Dortmund against Bremen
Frankfurt will be guests at VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday evening (6.30 p.m.). Dortmund welcomes Werder Bremen (8.30 p.m.).