With the victory over SC Freiburg, the Eintracht Frankfurt Women shot themselves into third place. Striker Laura Freigang explains the team’s change. And a young Hessian woman stands out.
The year 2026 is off to an excellent start so far for Eintracht Frankfurt Women. Five competitive game wins in a row, unbeaten in seven games – and after that success on Monday against SC Freiburg (3:0) greet the Hessians from third place. The upcoming international break is almost inconvenient.
Laura Freigang, the goalscorer of the important 1-0, was able to explain on the hr-sport microphone what has changed at Eintracht: “We have shown a different attitude in the last few weeks and then luck is more on your side. We had one or two situations today in which we could concede a goal. But for long stretches we were the better team.”
More determined in the second round
Freigang herself was a symbol of the newly awakened passion against Freiburg when she followed a rebound and put the ball in the goal in the second attempt. “We take more responsibility on the pitch, we work more,” said the attacker. At 1-0 it was the symptomatic extra meter that all players went.
The home win was deserved because Eintracht determined what was happening. In the first half, however, she didn’t play deep enough. In the second half the team acted more determinedly. This was evident at 2-0 when Ereleta Memeti powered through and served Elisa Senß in the textbook manner. The national player finished just as confidently as Rebecka Blomqvist later, who put the ball on her left foot and hit the far corner to make it 3-0.
Release: Belong in Europe
Anyone who acts like that has ambitions. Freigang then made no secret of his goal: “Traveling through Europe is something very special, we want to do it again next year and that’s where we belong!” After the international break we go to Werder Bremen (6th).
The truth on Monday was also that goalkeeper Lina Altenburg saved her team from falling behind. After just half a minute she showed a wonderful reflex on the line and made a one-on-one save shortly before half-time. In the second half, it was their flying skills that gave Eintracht a clean slate.
Altenburg impressed
“It feels good, especially after such a fighting game. I’m proud of the team,” Altenburg told hr-sport. But she also warned: “The reckoning will be in May, we are not finished yet. We have a lot to do.” That sounded so serene for a 20-year-old the way she presented herself on the pitch.
Coach Niko Arnautis was full of praise: “Lina kept us in the game, especially during the first half. Her development is fantastic.” Altenburg moved into goal after Sophia Winkler was injured. The special feature: After starting out in Auerbach, Altenburg played exclusively for Eintracht Frankfurt and is a real identification figure. It could be another positive story in this year, 2026, which has had such a strong start so far.
