analysis
Eintracht Frankfurt can’t get past a draw against staid Wolfsburg. It turns out that trying to win a game without a striker is difficult. The analysis in five points.
Eintracht Frankfurt has a home game on Sunday Only played a 1-1 draw against VfL Wolfsburg. Aaron Zehnter scored for the guests (67th), Michy Batshuayi equalized from a penalty deep in stoppage time (90th +6).
1. Elye Wahi is completely left out
If anyone in the Frankfurt area still believed that Elye Wahi’s hour would come at Eintracht, they would have buried that hope by 4.30 p.m. on Sunday evening at the latest. When the line-up was published an hour before kick-off, Wahi’s name was missing, and not just in the starting line-up, where one would have expected him to be after Jonny Burkardt’s injury. But completely. Wahi didn’t even make it into the squad despite the greatest hardship in the attack.
What you have to let it sink in: the number one striker is out, and his 25 million euro backup is apparently so poor in training that coach Dino Toppmöller decides to forego him altogether. “That was a sporting decision,” said Toppmöller briefly. The transfer window opens in a few weeks, and it seems more than possible that Wahi will leave Frankfurt after just one year. And leaves footprints at best as the biggest transfer misunderstanding in Frankfurt’s history.
2. No Jonny, no party
Wahi was allowed to stay at home and the two remaining strikers Michy Batshuayi and convalescent Jessic Ngankam took a seat on the bench. Ansgar Knauff, a winger, started up front. And what happens when you send a team into a Bundesliga game without a real striker was easy to observe over long stretches of the game. Jean-Matteo Bahoya missed a high ball win from Knauff, Mario Götze shot past the far corner after a nice one-two with Bahoya, and Ritsu Doan shot past the other a little later. Otherwise, countless crosses ended up with the opponent because there was simply no passing point in the middle. A Burkardt who knows how to move in the penalty area, or a Can Uzun who hangs around in the gaps.
“We knew it would be difficult without Johnny. Of course we miss him”said his substitute Knauff after the game. In the absence of the two best goalscorers, the Hessians collected 15 shots on goal and 14 corners. But it was almost never really dangerous; overall it was a very poor performance offensively. “We had a lot of actions towards the box, but only two clear chances to score,” complained Toppmöller after the end of the game. “With the field advantages we had, the final punch was missing a bit.”
3. Weak Wolfsburg scores
And so it happened as it had to happen: after many meager Eintracht attacks, it was finally VfL Wolfsburg who took the lead. The Wolves intercepted a throw-in from Eintracht, shifted the game, and when Saël Kumbedi’s cross came in, Rasmus Kristensen lost sight of his opponent Tenth in the back, ringing.
Up until this goal – and actually afterwards – VfL Wolfsburg lived up to its position in the table. Apart from playing time, the Lower Saxony team didn’t want or try to do much, it’s quite astonishing how little a club saddled with so much money has to offer. It’s all the more annoying that Eintracht missed the chance to get three points against such an unarmed opponent. “There would have been a chance to really slide into the top today. We didn’t manage to do that,” said goalkeeper Michael Zetterer angrily.
4. VAR luck shortly before the end
At least not lost, one could also say, after all, Wolfsburg were only a few minutes away from victory. However, because Eintracht’s VAR gave Eintracht a little help and called referee Harm Osmers to the screen because of a common contact from Denis Vavro on Arthur Theate, there was still a penalty for the Hessians shortly before the end. Substitute Batshuayi converted it to 1-1, which was Eintracht’s first striker’s goal of this Bundesliga season whose scorer wasn’t named Burkard. Much to the annoyance of the guests, who were still cursing loudly in the catacombs.
The penalty may have been controversial, but it was also a case of equal justice. After all, Osmers could have easily pointed to the point in the 55th minute when Lovro brought Majer Knauff down. “I would have preferred to go first,” said Eintracht sports director Markus Krösche succinctly. And drew a mild conclusion: “It was important that we got the point. If you see how the game went, you can be satisfied.”
5. A week of taking a breather and working
And now? Eintracht wanted to cling to the top with a win, but the opportunity was missed for now, although the Hessians at least didn’t lose touch due to the results of the competition. However, no one in Frankfurt will be satisfied with this point. “We had decided to win the game here at home and show a different face after the match against Bergamo,” complained Zetterer. “Unfortunately, that pure passion that can set the stadium on fire was missing.”
Due to the exit from the cup, Frankfurt now has no English week for the first time in what feels like an eternity, the next game is next Saturday in Leipzig. “It’s been a lot of English weeks, that shouldn’t be underestimated. A lot of players have played a lot of games recently,” said Zetterer. So first take a breather, then work towards Leipzig. Zetterer wrote the topics “defensive work” and “emotionality on the pitch” into the team’s homework book.
Who will score the goals in Leipzig seems unclear after the game against Wolfsburg, although Batshuayi should be ahead after his goal. “Michy signed up today, and not just because of his penalty goal. He had a good presence up front, got into the duels, and his running was also good,” praised Toppmöller. With regard to Wahi, he said: “Everyone is welcome to step on the gas and show that they really want to play.” That almost sounded a bit mocking.
Broadcast: hr- Fernsehen, Sportschau, November 30, 2025, 9:45 p.m
