BVB turns the game around
©IMAGO
Borussia Dortmund secured the runner-up title and thus further increased the pressure on Eintracht Frankfurt’s heavily criticized coach Albert Riera. Niko Kovac’s team turned an early deficit into a 3-2 (2-1) win and celebrated their 13th home win of the Bundesliga season. Due to the renewed bankruptcy, Frankfurt remains outside the European Cup places and is in danger of missing out on participation in international business.
In front of 81,365 spectators in the sold-out Dortmund stadium, Can Uzun (2nd minute) gave Eintracht an early lead. But Serhou Guirassy (42′) and Nico Schlotterbeck (45’+1) turned the game around in BVB’s favor within four minutes before the break. Samuele Inácio then shone with his first Bundesliga goal (72′), before Jonathan Burkardt (87′) reduced the deficit for Eintracht’s overall improvement.
Emotional farewells and early BVB shock
Before kick-off, not only the BVB departures Julian Brandt, Salih Özcan and Niklas Süle, but also former sports director Sebastian Kehl were farewelled with lots of applause, chants and a La Ola wave. While Süle is ending his career after the season, the future of Brandt, one of Borussia’s longest-serving players, and that of Özcan are open. According to reports, Kehl could move to Tottenham Hotspur after his contract is terminated.
On the pitch, Frankfurt got off to a fantastic start with four starting eleven changes after the disappointing 1:2 against HSV. Already in the second minute, ex-Borussia player Mahmoud Dahoud, who was playing in the league for the first time since matchday 23, left several Dortmund players standing and fed Uzun, who shot the ball dryly from the edge of the penalty area into the right corner to make it 1-0.
Always matchday captain Brandt
In the new BVB home jersey, the home team tried to respond quickly after conceding a lightning goal. Brandt, who wore the captain’s armband in his last home game, almost provided an assist for the equalizer twice. But first Marcel Sabitzer put the 30-year-old’s cross past the post (15th), before SGE keeper Michael Zetterer defused a header from Inacio after a pinpoint cross from Brandt (17th). Jean-Matteo Bahoya even missed the chance to equalize.
A little later, Brandt tried it himself from the second row, but Zetterer defused his low shot just as easily (25th) as he did a long-range shot from Jobe Bellingham shortly afterwards. While BVB continued to look for a way forward, the SGE was waiting for a counterattack. Before the break, things suddenly moved quickly: First Guirassy, who had been inconspicuous until then, equalized with his 16th goal of the season after a classy attack, before Schlotterbeck ice-coldly made it 2-1. met.
Debut goals and comebacks
In front of the eyes of national coach Julian Nagelsmann and DFB sports director Rudi Völler, BVB continues to put pressure on after the restart by referee Patrick Ittrich – in his 93rd and last appearance in the Bundesliga. But after a quick counterattack, the ball suddenly landed in Dortmund’s goal, but Fares Chaïbi was clearly offside. BVB recorded their first goal in the second half in the 60th minute. Zetterer defused a shot from Julian Ryerson with his foot.
The keeper had no chance when 18-year-old Inácio scored his debut goal after a perfect cross from Maximilian Beier. In addition to the goal, the substitutions of the recently injured Felix Nmecha and Karim Adeyemi also caused celebration. There was particularly big applause in the last floodlit game of the season for Süle, who played with freshly bleached hair during his short appearance.
