First victory for Kovac: Wolfsburg’s defensive bar lets Frankfurt come up

Status: 09/10/2022 7:21 p.m

With a clear match plan, VfL Wolfsburg deserved their first victory in the Bundesliga without the suspended Max Kruse. Eintracht Frankfurt didn’t come up with enough ideas on matchday 6 to break through the Wolfsburg defense.

Thanks to an orderly defense and clear advantages with high balls, Wolfsburg celebrated a 1-0 (0-0) win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (09/10/2022). Defender Maxence Lacroix scored the winning goal for VfL (60th minute).

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  • 6th matchday
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Kovac does without Kruse, Glasner criticizes

“It was important for us to act as a unit”, said Wolfsburg’s coach Niko Kovac after the game on the Sportschau microphone and gave his team “great praise”. Max Kruse was not part of this unit. Kovac did without the experienced offensive man and he made it clear that he would no longer rely on him in the future.

Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner criticized his team: “It was a very poor performance. Because we lost again from a set piece that we defend inconsistently. On offense we had no assertiveness and no depth.”

Wolfsburg mostly leaves the ball to Frankfurt

At the beginning of the game, it was quickly apparent what the guests had planned. After a weak start to the season, Wolfsburg initially limited themselves to the basics in terms of play. The “Wolves” exercised caution – and deliberately let Frankfurt determine the game.

At first there was no sign of attack pressing in the team of VfL coach Kovac. Frankfurt was entrusted with providing playful moments of glory. But despite all the game control, Eintracht couldn’t think of much against compact and deep Wolfsburg.

Trapp parries brilliantly, Jakic to the aluminum

And VfL Wolfsburg’s plan almost worked out in the first half. Because the Kovac team had the better chances. Bartol Franjic failed after a corner kick with a head on the brilliantly reacting Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp (15th). Mattias Svanberg also found his master in Trapp (32nd).

Frankfurt became dangerous for the first time via Kristijan Jakic. The previously moderately successful pass relays of Eintracht before the sixteen were too much for him. Jakic plucked up courage and tested the strength of the post with a shot from around 20 meters (39′).

Wolfsburg’s air superiority in standards is rewarded

Frankfurt also had to put in a lot of effort in the second half, but there was no return. Because Wolfsburg closed from the middle line and at the latest in the penalty area a VfL leg was always there in time.

And then the guests cheered after a corner kick from Josip Brekalo. It was not the first time that Frankfurt was missing the assignment for a standard. Wolfsburg had the air superiority in the person of Lacroix, who benefited in the decisive scene from a mistake by Trapp, who punched into the void and headed in to make it 1-0.

It was to remain the only goal of the day, because Frankfurt’s game remained flawed until the end, although the SGE put pressure on towards the end. An overhead kick by substitute Lucas Alario made the fans hold their breath for a moment, but the ball went wide (88′).

Frankfurt in the Champions League

Frankfurt’s Eintracht has to travel to Marseille on Tuesday (9 p.m.) for the second match day of the Champions League. In the Bundesliga, the “Adlerträger” take on VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 7 (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.). A day later, VfL Wolfsburg are away at Union Berlin for points (3:30 p.m.).

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