64
21:56
Kelian van der Kaap (Levski Sofia) is shown a yellow card.
In the build-up game on the center line, van der Kaap slips. He then holds Aaronson to stop the counterattack and is cautioned for doing so.
61
21:55
Sofia is now extremely deep, usually only attacks the ball-carrying player after the center line. Of course, it is extremely difficult for Eintracht to play this low bar.
59
21:52
The guests make a first change. Mitkov replaces the pale Darlan Mendes.
59
21:52
Asen Mitkov comes on as a substitute for Levski Sofia
59
21:51
Darlan Mendes is off the bench for Levski Sofia
57
21:50
Sofia has not yet fired a shot at Trapp’s goal and it will remain so for the time being. A cross from Welton on the left can clear Dina-Ebimbe at the far post.
56
21:49
Now the hosts have the chances that were missing in the first half. However, a hit must now also fall soon, because there will not be so many of these opportunities anymore.
54
21:48
Next top chance for Frankfurt! Pacho sends Dina-Ebimbe into the penalty area on the left with a clever chip ball. The rail player takes the ball directly from ten meters to the left, but just misses the goal on the right. Andreev can only look behind.
53
21:47
Tuta plays a good long ball into Dina-Ebimbe’s run from his own half. But then he can’t prevail against Pétris, otherwise he would have appeared alone in front of the goal.
51.
21:45
The game of Eintracht seems a bit static at the beginning of the second round. Larsson is almost a right-back in his own ball possession, Buta and Dina-Ebimbe push up to the last line.
49
21:42
The big chance for Götze! A cross from the left by Marmoush seems to have already been cleared, but the ball bounces to Götze on the left of the six-yard box. From an acute angle, he fails because of the well-reacting Andreev. Marmoush’s rebound can then be blocked.
46
21:39
A good combination lands on the right for Buta, who immediately gives the penalty spot. Andreev was careful and can attack before Dina-Ebimbe.
46
21:38
It continues. Both teams came out of the dressing room unchanged.
46
21:38
Kick-off 2nd half
45+7
21:23
Mid-term conclusion:
The game goes into the break without further events, the score is 0-0 between Frankfurt and Sofia. Eintracht is the game-determining team and actually has everything under control. In the last third, however, there is still a lack of precision and assertiveness, which is why there was no really good chance. The guests from Bulgaria concentrate mainly on defending and are non-existent up front. As things stand at present, there would be an extension, so the hosts still have to increase in the second round. See you soon.
45+7
21:21
End of 1st half
45+4
21:19
In the meantime it has started to rain in Deutsche Bank Park. It has already been seen that several players slip, so it seems that one or the other change of shoes is necessary at half-time.
45+3
21:18
Despite high pressure from Sofia, Frankfurt plays it well from the back, Skhiri ultimately sends Dina-Ebimbe on the left. Arriving in the penalty area, however, the rail player gets stuck on two opponents. There would have been more.
45+1
21:17
With a good long ball, Koch finds Buta on the right side of the penalty area, who gives it flat to the first post. There, however, Dimitrov is there in front of Marmoush and clears.
45
21:16
There are six more minutes in this first round. This is mainly due to the long injury breaks.
45
21:15
Official stoppage time (minutes): 6
43
21:13
In midfield, Kraev wins the ball against Skhiri and immediately sends Welton on the half-left. But Tuta was careful and can run it, so the situation is resolved.
41
21:12
You just have to address it. Larsson sends Marmoush into the penalty area on the right, but Marmoush slips away. This means Götze comes into play, who pushes the ball past eight meters and an acute angle, but clearly to the left, Andreev does not have to intervene.
40
21:10
The many interruptions took away some of the momentum for Frankfurt, they haven’t appeared dangerously in the opposing penalty area for a long time. Anything before the break?
38
21:08
Yellow card for Buta (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Now a Eintracht player, Buta, sees the yellow card. He was late against Wenderson Tsunami and conceded it.
36
21:07
The backwards movement at Eintracht works really well, after losing the ball, many players are quickly behind the ball again. What is still missing in the game of the hosts is the final consequence in the opposing sixteen.
34
21:04
Yellow card for Kristian Dimitrov (Levski Sofia)
Marmoush is sent well from within his own half and uses a body fake to get past Dimitrov. However, he is moved by this, the Bulgarian is warned. The central defender was lucky that the distance to his own goal was still very large, otherwise you could have thought about an emergency brake.
32
21:03
Now the Bulgarians are signing up. A cross comes from the left to the penalty spot, where Ronaldo pushes through, but cannot dangerously bring the ball onto the goal with his right outside instep. At least an offensive scene from Levski.
31
21:02
Jakić will need longer treatment and then actually leave the pitch. Newcomer Larsson is now there for him.
31
21:01
Substitution at Eintracht Frankfurt: Hugo Larsson
31
21:01
Substitution at Eintracht Frankfurt: Kristijan Jakic
29
21:00
Welton has some space in the center after a ball has been saved but is well protected by Jakić and Koch. Then Jakić is back on the ground and holding his head, the Croatian can’t go on after all.
27
20:57
Yellow card for Wenderson Tsunami (Levski Sofia)
In midfield, Wenderson Tsunami comes too late against Buta and clears it. He sees a yellow card for that.
26
20:57
And it goes on, but unfortunately also with the offside positions. Götze deflects a ball from his own half with his heel into the path of Marmoush, who fails in the penalty area on the right because Andreev defends his foot. Anyway, he had started a moment too early.
25
20:56
Then the lead for Frankfurt falls, Skhiri plays a flat ball from the left directly into the penalty area to Marmoush. He is half left free and remains ice cold in front of Andreev. However, he was very delicately offside, correctly recognized by the linesman, the decision also withstands the VAR check.
23
20:55
For the first time, the guests manage to let the ball run a little through their own ranks. However, they are not dangerous when going forward.
21
20:51
It’s always the same pattern, now Buta Götze runs behind on the right and can then pass the ball from the baseline to the middle. Aaronson narrowly misses the second post because Pétris decisively deflects the play equipment.
19
20:50
Luckily for Pacho, things can continue after a short break. The many interruptions are currently disrupting the flow of the game.
18
20:48
Yellow card for Ronaldo (Levski Sofia)
In midfield, Ronaldo goes into a high-leg duel with Pacho and hits him in the ear. He is rightly warned for this, the Frankfurter has to be treated longer.
18
20:47
Jakić is now back on the field and the harmony is complete. So far there is little to see from the guests in front.
17
20:47
Buta can pierce through to the right again and give a sharp half-up from the baseline to the middle. But Andreev is on the spot and defends before an eagle carrier gets to the ball.
16
20:46
The interruption lasts a long time because the bleeding is stopped on the field. But it will probably be possible for Jakić to continue.
14
20:44
Jakić and Pacho both hit their heads in their own penalty area, and the former bleeds from the forehead. The Croatian needs treatment.
12.
20:42
Almost the lead for Eintracht. Marmoush is sent into the penalty area from the right by Jakić and then passes from the baseline to the six-yard box. There, Dina-Ebimbe narrowly misses under pressure, the ball was also deflected beforehand. Before that, Marmoush was offside anyway, a goal wouldn’t have counted.
10
20:41
In these first few minutes, Frankfurt clearly dominates the game, controlling the ball and opponents. The determination in the last third as well as the precision is still missing.
7.
20:38
Götze and Skhiri combine well on the right, the former Cologne player then passes on flat to Buta, who immediately fits flat into the middle. Dina-Ebimbe almost gets the ball there, but Pétris can clear it.
5.
20:36
The Bulgarians’ approach is a bit more defensive than in the first leg, they want to be good at the back. Nevertheless, Eintracht is already getting underway fairly quickly, and there is pressure from the middle line at the latest.
3.
20:34
The guests also register at the front, Welton pulls into the penalty area from the left, but gets stuck there. In these first few minutes it also becomes clear that Sofia is playing with a five-man chain.
2.
20:32
Eintracht has the first good action, Götze uses Buta on the right. Aaronson misses his cross in the middle, otherwise it would have been dangerous.
1.
20:30
Then the ball rolls. Frankfurt has started.
20:28
The teams enter the field at this moment, together with referee Allard Lindhout from the Netherlands. The game can start in a few minutes.
20:12
However, the situation is very different in the qualification for the Europa Conference League. At least Sofia eliminated Hapoel Beer Sheva in the last round, before that they beat Shkupi 1927. They showed in the first leg that they can be particularly dangerous up front. The weaknesses of the team can be found in the defensive area.
19:57
So we’ve already reached the opponent, the blatant outsider from Bulgaria. The team come to Germany rested, having been given a break by the league after two play-off games. However, Sofia is currently only eighth in the Parva Liga, and the top of the table has already rushed a bit. Even with two games less, the start of the season has not been successful.
19:42
At Frankfurt you don’t know exactly how to evaluate the start of the season. After a narrow 1-0 win against Darmstadt, there was a 1-1 draw against Mainz, but the Adlerträger only managed to equalize in injury time when they were outnumbered. In the first leg against Sofia, they again conceded a late 1-1, which is why everything is still open in this game. Eintracht are of course the big favourites, but they have to cope with the noise caused by the strike by star striker Kolo Muani. A win today is a must.
19:30
First, let’s take a look at the lineups. At Frankfurt, coach Dino Toppmöller made four changes after last weekend. Tuta, Dina-Ebimbe, Buta and Aaronson start for Smolčić, Knauff, Max and Kolo Muani. Kolo Muani is absent due to his training strike to force a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Newcomer Chaïbi is not yet in the squad. Sofia coach Nikolay Kostov changes two positions compared to the first leg. Mitkov and Jawad El Jemili are replaced by Darlan Mendes and van der Kaap. He can draw from the full.
19:26
Welcome to the second leg of the Europa Conference League play-offs, today Eintracht Frankfurt and Levski Sofia meet. Kick-off at Deutsche Bank Park is at 8:30 p.m.!