Eintracht Frankfurt secured the move into the Champions League with a 3: 1 (1: 1) victory in Freiburg on the last Bundesliga matchday. The SCF lost fourth place through the defeat and will play in the Europa League in the coming season.
Ritsu Doan had Freiburg on Saturday (May 17th, 2025) dreamed of the Champions League catchment (27th minute). The goals of Ansgar Knauff (45.+4), Rasmus Kristensen (61.) and Johan Manzambi (own goal, 63.) ensured the deserved away win of the Frankfurt, through whom the SGE was able to celebrate its third place and thus the royal class.
In the parallel game, Borussia Dortmund clearly won his home game against Holstein Kiel, so that the Freiburger fourth-placed in front of the game still slipped fifth with the Europa League qualification.
Intensive initial phase between Freiburg and Frankfurt
The game was hardly kicked out, when Borussia Dortmund was already in the parallel game. It was already assumed in advance that the last convincing BVB would successfully make his home game against already relegated Kieler, and yet the Dortmund leadership tightened the situation in Freiburg: Freiburg practically slipped in fifth in the lightning table – and was therefore under force.
The Freiburgers started the game aggressively without going to the risk early. The SC collected possession of the ball, slapped the first flanks into the Frankfurt penalty area, but it did not get dangerous in front of Kevin Trapp’s goal. The guests started behavior, but then also found the game. An intensive game developed that lived extremely on the tension and the heated mood.
Freiburg’s gate after throw-in, SGE gate for errors
Both teams did not play much in a playful manner, and the Freiburg lead goal resulted from a standard. Philipp Lienhart, before whose long throws in the penalty area Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller had explicitly warned in the run-up to the game, threw the ball to the five-meter room, Matthias Ginter extended and completed volley from a central position.
CL in front: Freiburg cheers after the tour of Ritsu Doan (27th)
Frankfurt showed tender qualities, gained a huge chance shortly after Freiburg’s leadership: after Nathaniel Browns Solo, Hugo Ekitiké came freely at the end, Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu parried the left shot brilliantly. Fares Chaibi clearly put the rebound over the goal (33.). Shortly afterwards, Ekitiké was sent again, again the Frenchman failed with his conclusion on the strongly reacting atubolu (37th).
Thanks to an individual campaign, the deserved compensation was achieved late in the added time of the first round – and with the help of the Freiburg defensive. Knauff put the ball into the run technically finely over Lienhart. The Austrian, actually still well posted, sawed past the ball when trying to clarify, so that Knauff was able to complete the right in the penalty area.
Freiburg again demanded – but Frankfurt meets
Halftime two started under the old sign: Freiburg needed a goal, especially since the Dortmund had increased to 2-0 in the parallel game. The SC posted more possession again, but was also a bit lucky when Johan Manzambi’s handball in the penalty area previously presented a wafer -thin offside position and was no longer up for a possible penalty.
Another Freiburg mistake enabled the Eintracht leadership: Vincenzo Grifo worked unclear the ball under distress, the SGE quickly played forward over Ekitiké. With a little luck, the ball landed at Kristensen, who pulled out of about 20 meters and hit the left corner flat.
Guided tour from distance: The striking Kristensen hits (61.)
Manzambi owner according to standard
Less than three minutes later, the now ice cold increased: again Kristensen came to the right in the penalty area as a result of a standard, Ellyes Skhiri held his foot on the long post. From there, the ball bounced down to the aluminum, from there back to Manzambis and over the goal line.
Frankfurt led 3-1 and now clearly had the Champions League in mind. Freiburg tried everything again in the final phase, coach Julian Schuster changed aggressively, but the punch was missing. The SC hardly brought about anything, and body language also became increasingly negative. Instead, Eintracht could have scored its fourth goal by Ekitiké (88.) after a counterattack.
In the end, Frankfurt was able to celebrate the desired Champions League entry after a strong and above all constant season. The SBU cheered with the fans who traveled with her, but the Freiburg spectators also rewarded the strong season of their team with a lot of applause and minutes.