In the end, the thrilling exchange of blows in Frankfurt had two winners: the football fans and FC Bayern Munich.
The actual main protagonists of Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund were annoyed about a missed opportunity at the start of 2026, but made them want more in this Bundesliga season.
“What a game! Football heart, what more could you want?” raved Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller about the spectacle in the 3-3 draw against BVB. Dortmund’s sports director Lars Ricken described the game as “advertising for the league”. But he couldn’t be really satisfied.
Ricken: “Unnecessarily left two points behind”
BVB’s draw on matchday 16 was once again not enough to perhaps make the championship race exciting again with the already overtaken leaders FC Bayern.
“More was definitely possible,” explained Ricken. The 49-year-old added that they “unnecessarily left two points behind here.” After all, Dortmund consolidated second place in the table with the point and, in contrast to seventh-placed Eintracht, are on course for the Champions League. There just doesn’t seem to be anything more possible for BVB at the moment.
Events roll over into injury time
And after the final whistle, the Black and Yellows were lucky to have picked up a point at all. After former Dortmund player Mahmoud Dahoud scored for Eintracht in the second minute of added time to make it 3-2, everything looked like a Frankfurt victory. With what was essentially the last action of the game, Carney Chukwuemeka (90+6) saved BVB’s draw.
“After the 91st you can be satisfied, before that you can be dissatisfied. Now we have taken a point, that’s okay, but not what we wanted,” said Dortmund national player Nico Schlotterbeck.
After the next two home games against Werder Bremen on Tuesday (8:30 p.m.) and FC St. Pauli next Saturday (3:30 p.m.), it will become clear how much the point was worth, said Ricken.
Guirassy as a problem child
It remains to be seen whether striker Serhou Guirassy’s goal drought will end. The attacker made an unhappy impression in Frankfurt, as he did in the weeks before the Christmas break.
The 29-year-old, who has been waiting for a goal since the ninth matchday on October 31st against FC Augsburg (1-0), managed little to nothing. Every striker “has to go through such a dry spell every now and then,” explained Dortmund coach Niko Kovac and announced: “He’ll get out of it again.”
Guirassy not only remained goalless, but also caused Can Uzun to make it 1-1 with a penalty kick (22′). The professional from Guinea had previously brought down Eintracht defender Robin Koch with a clumsy move. An unnecessary offense. “He knows that he shouldn’t go there like that. It happens once in ten times, it’s annoying in the situation because we had Frankfurt well under control in the first 20 minutes,” said Guirassy’s teammate Waldemar Anton.
Frankfurt’s entrances deliver directly
While Guirassy is in a slump in form, the Frankfurt signings Younes Ebnoutalib and Arnaud Kalimuendo showed their potential. In co-production, the two made it 2-2. While Kalimuendo, on loan from Nottingham Forest, prepared the goal, Ebnoutalib, who moved from second division club SV Elversberg, scored his first goal in the first Bundesliga game.
“I think it’s a very special day for him today, even before the curve,” said Toppmöller about his new attacker, who was born in Frankfurt. The goalscorer himself appeared overwhelmed on the pay TV channel Sky after the game. “I’m still a bit speechless, it’s a really, really amazing feeling that I’m scoring a goal on my debut.”
The rapid rise continues for Ebnoutalib. A little over a year ago he was playing in the regional league for FC Gießen. At least one of the protagonists of the 3:3 draw could still feel like a winner.
FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX)
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