Eintracht Frankfurt gets an important point in Naples and shines with Italian defensive skills. The hot dance on Vesuvius turns into an ice-cold evening – just the way the Hessians like it.
Dino Toppmöller didn’t have to think for long. “Yes,” said the Eintracht Frankfurt coach late on Tuesday evening in the catacombs of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, “I see that as a compliment.” His team had previously fought to a 0-0 draw with the current Serie A champions, SSC Napoli, with an extremely strong defensive performance. After the game, an Italian journalist attested that Eintracht had a defensive performance like Italian teams. And his question was whether the Eintracht coach would see this formulation as a compliment. And of course, Toppmöller said yes.
Before that, Eintracht had defended passionately and tactically cleverly for 90 minutes in Naples, only allowing a few chances to score and in the end the goalless draw earned. Italian-Hessian defensive art, a lot of work, one point: The Frankfurt team were noticeably satisfied after this fourth Champions League matchday and their first point win since the first matchday.
“That’s a point gain”
“We earned the point against the Italian champions. That’s a point win. We come out of this game very positively and can build on it,” said Toppmöller, not wrongly. The fact that the previous game had been little or not at all attractive for large parts and that Eintracht rarely had anything to offer on offense apart from a very good chance by Ansgar Knauff (73′) was rightly of no real interest to anyone from Frankfurt’s point of view after the end of the game.
Eintracht had previously invested a lot in ensuring that the Maradona Stadium, this area in Naples that can turn into a cauldron on good days, was cooled down quite quickly. Volume, fire, hot atmosphere? Almost never present. The Frankfurt team, who, as is well known, had to compete without their own supporters, pulled the plug on Napoli early on.
A quiet stadium in Naples
It never got wild, especially not an SSC party. “Because we didn’t allow much, the atmosphere in the stadium also decreased,” explained captain Robin Koch. That could only be right for Eintracht. “The stadium didn’t get loud at all. That was due to our performance,” emphasized sports director Markus Krösche.
Toppmöller had his team line up with a classic five-man chain, Nnamdi Collins moved back into the first team, Rasmus Kristensen defended on the wing. Ritsu Doan had to sit on the bench due to the change. On the left side, Nathaniel Brown has been defending at international level for weeks, and in Naples the defensive centerpiece around Koch, Collins and Arthur Theate also showed an impeccable performance. There was rarely a passing by.
When Naples becomes dangerous, Zetterer is there
And if Napoli did become dangerous, which was actually only the case in the opening and final quarter of an hour, keeper Michael Zetterer was there. In the 60 minutes in between there was a lot of idleness – on both sides. The Eintracht keeper noticeably gives the team support, his calm also radiates to those in front of him. “The defensive stability that has returned is partly due to him,” praised Toppmöller.
In addition, Hugo Larsson, Farès Chaibi and Mario Götze toiled away in front of them, while Jonathan Burkardt threw himself into every duel up front: an Italian-style defensive construct was ready. “When it comes to defensive play, there is no better nation than Italy,” explained Toppmöller. “The boys showed that on the pitch.” Bella Italia. At least for 90 minutes on the pitch.
First against Mainz, then take a deep breath
The goalless draw is enormously good for the Hessian soul after the past, often unsettled weeks and all the hardships surrounding the trip to the southern Italian city. There was already enough fuss surrounding the game, the Frankfurters can now put a check on all the drama. Napoli is history. From Frankfurt’s perspective, we don’t need to see each other again so quickly. There was no “Arrivederci”, the only thing that counted in the end was winning points.
Of course, the Hessians cannot live on the draw in Naples for long. In the league, the home appearance against Mainz awaits on Sunday (7.30 p.m.), only then can we take a breather during the international break. It is also clear to everyone that it will take significantly less Italian unity and significantly more offensive unity against the zero fives.
