Later double shock in the European Cup
Goalkeeper misses: Eintracht throws away a certain victory without a care in the world
September 26, 2024, 10:56 p.m
Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt already looks like a sure winner against Czech representative Viktoria Pilsen. However, the shock followed in added time. As the competition progresses, the Hessians will have to improve.
862 days after the magical night in Seville, Eintracht Frankfurt has made a very mixed comeback in the Europa League. In their favorite competition, the Hessians lost what they thought was a certain victory in the final phase. The 3:3 (1:1) against Viktoria Pilsen was a setback after three league wins in a row. After marching through to the title in the 2021/22 season, Eintracht remained unbeaten in at least the 14th game in a row in the Europa League.
The strong Hugo Ekitike (38th), Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe (62nd) and Rasmus Kristensen (67th) gave the favorite a clear lead, but Pavel Sulc (41st), Prince Kwabena Adu (86th) and Vaclav Jemelka ( 90.+3) equalized the game. Goalkeeper Kaua Santos, who was filling in for the injured Kevin Trapp, looked bad in the equalizer. Before the international break, Dino Toppmöller’s team still has difficult tasks ahead of them with away games in Kiel and Besiktas Istanbul as well as the home game against Bayern. In the last two seasons, the SGE was first active in the Champions and then in the Conference League.
“That’s not good enough,” said Kristensen on RTL. The defender added: “3-1 five minutes before the end. That has to be three points.” Sports director Markus Krösche had a similar view: “It’s extremely bitter because we played well. After the 3-1 win, we didn’t do enough and defended a bit naively.”
“Special competition for Eintracht”
Since the triumph in 2022 at the latest, the Europa League has been “a special competition for Eintracht Frankfurt. We all know that, that’s how everyone feels,” Toppmöller said before the game. A repeat of the title is “a dream”, but the team has to go “step by step”. The first step was difficult. The new “buffalo herd” (Toppmöller) with Ekitike, Omar Marmoush and starting eleven debutant Igor Matanovic, who played together for the first time from the start, had to find their way.
In the pouring rain, Matanovic tested Martin Jedlicka with a low shot (17th), but otherwise Eintracht initially played around the penalty area despite having a lot of possession against low-lying Pilseners. It took a perfect one-two from Kristensen and Ekitike to take the lead, which the Frenchman finished flat with his left into the far corner. But just a short time later, Sulc countered perfectly from a distance with the outsider’s first serious shot on goal.
After the change, the fans stopped their loud support due to a medical emergency in the corner, and the team continued to lack speed and ideas in the ghost game atmosphere. A double substitution was needed for fresh momentum and a new atmosphere, “Joker” Ebimbe completed a dream pass from Ekitike. Shortly afterwards, Kristensen followed up with a full-range shot. After Adu’s connection, which didn’t seem untenable, tension arose again, then Santos reached past. However, he was also hindered by his own teammates.
