It is a special honor that the Eintracht Frankfurt footballers are experiencing in their third appearance in the Women’s Champions League.
The group game at Benfica Lisbon (today from 9 p.m. in the live ticker) is not only interesting in terms of sport, but also offers a real premiere: For the first time, the Portuguese champions are playing a Champions League game in the Estádio da Luz, which has a capacity of 65,000 spectators – in in the Portuguese capital is simply referred to as the “Catedral”.
It’s about the round of 16 against Benfica Lisbon
Even if the majority of the red bucket seats will remain empty, this is a sign of appreciation for the Bundesliga third-place team, who will also be playing the second leg in their large arena in eight days. Benfica has a similar record to Eintracht, who started with a deserved 2-1 win at FC Rosengård and then suffered a much-complimented 1-3 defeat against defending champions FC Barcelona.
Benfica, head coach Filipa Patão’s team, went down 5-0 in Barcelona on matchday one, but then won 1-0 against Rosengård. Ergo, the duels between Frankfurt and Lisbon are likely to decide whether they make it to the round of 16. “Benfica is a difficult opponent to play against, as we have seen against Munich in recent years. But there are also a few points in their game where we can make them vulnerable.”analyzes head coach Niko Arnautis. “We want to create a good starting position for this game; the goal is to win the direct comparison.”
Five Germans National players at Eintracht
The 43-year-old is generally very proud that his community, which has grown over the years, has reached this level. Just like the men of Eintracht, the women also want to make an exclamation mark on the international stage. The most recent mature performance in the Bundesliga duel against TSG Hoffenheim (3:1) confirmed Arnautis in his approach to relying on a very solid framework this season; Perhaps no other Bundesliga club’s line-up seems as predictable as Eintracht’s.
Of course this has advantages and disadvantages. Arnautis, who previously worked full-time as a teacher trainer at the Carl von Weinberg School in Frankfurt, consistently enjoys the trust of the leading players and has been paying back with performance for years. His top seeds include five German national players: goalkeeper Stina Johannes, Sara Doorsoun, Sophia Kleinherne, Laura Freigang and Nicole Anyomi.
Sophia Kleinherne has been without her since June International minute
What’s special is that three of the four outfield players barely get a foot in the door for the national team, even though Kleinherne, Anyomi (both 23) and Freigang (25) have long since become faces in German women’s football. The fact that the Frankfurt women were not taken into account at the World Cup in Australia was already a recurring topic under national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, but interim coach Horst Hrubesch has rarely had use for this trio.
Freigang was substituted at half-time in Hrubesch’s debut against Wales (5-1) after missing a great chance in Sinsheim. In three of the four international matches under the 72-year-old, Anyomi only came into the game in the final phase, although Hrubesch generally appreciates the dynamism of this striker. Kleinherne was initially missing from his first squad and didn’t even play a minute under the interim coach. The Westphalians have not collected a minute of international play since June. This is frustrating for such a reflective footballer who also expresses her views off the pitch.
Laura Freigang’s position does not exist in the national team
The same applies to Freigang, who played a leading role in the documentary “Born for this” at the European Championships and World Cup, but not on the pitch. Despite her strong record of twelve goals in 24 international matches (mostly against weaker opponents), she is still far from a regular place. In the long run, just playing the mood cannon and the cabin DJ won’t be enough for her either. She often complained that her position in the national team didn’t exist.
The status of Sara Doorsoun, who moved from VfL Wolfsburg to Frankfurt two years ago, is different: The 32-year-old immediately moved into the starting line-up in Wales for the suspended Marina Hegering and also represented her at the World Cup under “MVT”. The Cologne native has 50 international appearances. But her younger club colleagues are stagnating in their development in the DFB uniform, while they have become even more important in the Eintracht jersey.
Someone like Nicole Anyomi would need more trust
Kleinherne has developed into one of the most reliable defensive forces in the league over the years. Freigang is considered one of the most flexible, Anyomi one of the most assertive offensive players in Germany. This is how the players move “between the worlds”, as the trade magazine “Kicker” recently headlined on a double page. Sporting little appreciated in the national team, always played at club level.
“My players have shown that they are there and ready when they are needed. I would be happy if one or two of them got more playing time” Arnautis said recently. He naturally wishes his players a sense of success in the DFB selection, because that would also benefit his team; at the same time, he is convinced that one or the other just needs more trust in order to help the national team in the future. The Champions League isn’t the worst stage for convincing people.