Despite defeat in Barcelona
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It was already after midnight when Dino Toppmöller made a small declaration of love to his players despite the bitter 1:2 (1:0) defeat at FC Barcelona. “We showed that we are a good team. The boys played with character and showed heart. My belief in this team is unbroken,” enthused the Eintracht Frankfurt coach about the courageous premier class performance at the Camp Nou.
What was much more important to him than the result was that his protégés had regained their belief in their own strength and dispelled any self-doubts that had arisen after the recent 6-0 debacle at RB Leipzig. And so Toppmöller made it clear with full conviction: “I know that we are good and will have a good season.”
Once underway, the coach immediately sent a declaration of war to the international competition. “We want to seize the chance of the second round, which we still have,” emphasized Toppmöller. Knowing full well that in January at Qarabağ Ağdam and against Tottenham Hotspur only victories count.
Even if the result is rather meager with four points from six games, the jump into the play-off round can still be achieved. “If we still have the chance to advance in the last home game against Tottenham, we can achieve something special together with our fans,” emphasized Toppmöller. And veteran Mario Götze promised: “We will fight until the end in the Champions League.”
Eintracht Frankfurt shows reaction in Champions League
If Eintracht stabilizes at the level shown in Barcelona, the coup could well be a success. “It was important that we performed as a team. It’s annoying that we conceded two goals shortly after the break, but overall we can be satisfied with the performance against a very strong opponent. That has to be our standard,” summed up sports director Markus Krösche.
The Frankfurt team worked tirelessly for 90 minutes at the Camp Nou construction site, where only 38,439 spectators attended the game due to ongoing renovations. “The boys saw that if everyone stands up for each other and sticks to the plan, then we are able to keep up against such an opponent. This performance was important,” said Krösche.
Defender Arthur Theate rated the performance similarly positively. “We showed a unity mentality here. I hope that gives us a boost of self-confidence.” Although they lost, they did so “with their heads held high”. And Toppmöller praised: “Attitude, commitment and willingness to stand up for each other were right.”
It was all the more annoying that the seventh-place team in the Bundesliga had to travel home without points. After the half-time lead by Ansgar Knauff (21st minute), they had definitely figured something out, reported Toppmöller. But within 180 seconds, Jules Koundé (50th/53rd) destroyed the Hessians’ dreams of victory with two headers.
“The two goals we conceded were unfortunate so quickly. We otherwise defended well,” said Nathaniel Brown. The young international put in a strong performance and successfully defied high-flyer Lamine Yamal. There was extra praise for this from those responsible. “He played a very good game and showed what level he is now at,” said Krösche. And Toppmöller added: “Nathaniel has already proven several times that he can take absolute top players out of the game.”
After a long injury break: Ngankam makes his Champions League debut
It was also a special evening for Jessic Ngankam. After recovering from a broken tibia and fibula, the 25-year-old was able to collect his first minutes in the Champions League. The center forward was previously not eligible to play in the competition. But because Michy Batshuayi was out for a longer period of time with a broken metatarsal, Ngankam was able to be called up at short notice. As of this afternoon, he was not officially in the SGE’s premier class squad.
In the 89th minute, the attacker came on for Ritsu Doan. He had previously made two short appearances in the Bundesliga. It’s the end of a long wait. Ngankam, who has repeatedly been set back by injuries in the past, had to sit out since mid-April. The offensive force was signed by Frankfurt in 2023 for 4 million euros, but was recently loaned out to Mainz 05 and Hannover 96 due to a lack of sporting prospects. The Lower Saxons also suffered a broken tibia and fibula.