On Saturday (October 15th, 2022), Eintracht Frankfurt clinched a 5-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen and its new coach Xabi Alonso in the Bundesliga and brought the Rhinelanders back to a relegation zone. Eintracht slipped up to fourth place in the table thanks to the threesome on matchday 10.
Daichi Kamada put the hosts ahead with a converted penalty before the break (45′) after Randal Kolo Muani’s first attempt at keeper Lukáš Hradecky had failed. However, the goalie moved off the line too early, meaning the penalty had to be retaken.
After the break, Piero Hincapié equalized (56′), but almost in return Kolo Muani put Frankfurt in front again (58′). Jesper Lindstrøm increased (65′) before Hincapié was sent off with a yellow-red card after a foul on Kolo Muani worth a penalty (71′). Kamada converted the second penalty for Eintracht again. Shortly before the end of the game, Lucas Alario made it 5-1 (86′).
Glazier: “mentally difficult game”
“A well-deserved victory. Very enthusiastic, played forward again and again, many combinations, very compact”said Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner, “It was a very difficult game mentally because we had only missed four or five huge chances. After the 1-1 draw, a game like that can quickly turn over. I go to bed very satisfied.” Bayer Leverkusen’s new coach Xabi Alonso analyzed: “We struggled from the start, didn’t have the intensity we needed. It’s our fault, there are no excuses. There are a lot of things to learn from today’s game.”
Eintracht attack series and idols harmonize
Mario Götze fired a first warning shot just inches from the post after five minutes, then Hincapié blocked Kolo Muani (9th), who was already rushing towards the goal after Götze’s dream pass (9th), in dire need. Eintracht started much more energetically with Kristijan Jakic as the new central link in the back three and bought the punch from Bayer in the duels.
Again and again, dangerous shots arose in front of the Bayer Leverkusen goal after high ball wins. Jesper Lindström (13′) aimed a free-standing goal too centrally, Kolo Muani (28’/42′) failed alone in front of the goal in each case by ex-Frankfurt player Hrádecký. Despite playing more games, Leverkusen didn’t manage much with the ball, and there was a lack of pace and ideas in the offensive game. Jeremie Frimpong (33rd) shot the crossbar out of nowhere.
Things got strange in injury time after Edmond Tapsoba clearly fouled Lindström in the penalty area. goalkeeper Hradecky parried against Kolo Muani, but left the line too early. The replay then used Kamada.
Bayer equalizer after the break – but then…
Alonso brought in a new central midfield in Nadiem Amiri and Kerem Demirbay at the break – but that only brought some relief for a short time. Hincapié leveled with a diving header from a half-field free-kick, but Kolo Muani promptly replied with a header. Bayer then gave up completely, the SBU now had an easy time.
Leverkusen against Wolfsburg, Frankfurt in Gladbach
Frankfurt has its next task in the DFB Cup: Next Tuesday (18.10.22, 6 p.m.) Eintracht will play Stuttgarter Kickers from the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg. Bayer 04 Leverkusen host VfL Wolfsburg on Matchday 11 (Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 3:30 p.m.). Three hours later, Frankfurt is required away in Gladbach.