5:1 series ends
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Eintracht Frankfurt won a point in the Champions League against SSC Napoli thanks to a defensive bulwark. The Bundesliga team drew 0-0 with the Italian champions after a very harmless offensive performance. With the draw in a weak game without many scoring chances, Frankfurt and Naples got their fourth point on the fourth matchday of the league phase. This brings Eintracht at least a small step closer to the knockout phase.
A crazy 5-1 series in the Champions League also ended for Frankfurt. At the start, coach Dino Toppmöller’s team won 5-1 against Galatasaray, then there were two terrible 1-5 defeats at Atlético Madrid and at home against Liverpool FC. “We just want to survive in the lion’s den – even if we have to play alone here first,” Toppmöller said before the game against the Serie A leaders – and was thus aimed at the controversial exclusion of the away fans in Naples.
“It hurts their hearts not to be able to be there,” said the coach, who stood on the sidelines with a cold and made five changes compared to the 1-1 draw in the Bundesliga at 1. FC Heidenheim. Among other things, offensive gem Can Uzun was missing due to a muscle injury.
Without Frankfurt supporters in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and also without Uzun, Naples under master coach Antonio Conte were initially the team that set the tone. Things became dangerous for the first time in the sixth minute when Rasmus Højlund – brother of Frankfurt’s injured Oscar – was denied by Eintracht keeper Michael Zetterer from close range. A goal wouldn’t have counted anyway because of an offside position.
A little later, Zetterer distinguished himself again by defusing a shot from Napoli’s Eljif Elmas (13th). The ex-Leipziger in particular repeatedly put Frankfurt’s right side of the defense in trouble at the beginning because winger Rasmus Kristensen appeared unusually erratic.
Eintracht didn’t make an offensive appearance at all in the first half. Avoidable bad passes repeatedly crept into the Frankfurt game. Instead, the defensive lines dominated. The home team, who had to do without the two Belgian star players Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku due to injuries, among other things, were unable to create any significant chances until the break.
Zetterer saves Eintracht Frankfurt in the final phase
After the page change, the picture was initially similar. Both teams appeared to lack penetration and there were no significant chances – until the 68th minute, when a shot from Naples’ Scott McTominay was decisively deflected out of the goal by national player Robin Koch.
On the other side, substitute Ansgar Knauff had a huge chance to take the flattering lead out of nowhere. But Napoli keeper Vanja Milinković-Savić fended off the shot with a strong save (76th). In the final phase, Eintracht were lucky that McTominay’s attempt from a promising position went meters wide of the goal (83′). In the final phase, Zetterer saved Eintracht’s point with brilliant saves.