Europa League winner Eintracht Frankfurt has averted the premature end of the Champions League and can even dream of winning the group after a feat of strength. The Hessians defeated the French football club Olympique Marseille 2-1 (2-1) and have progress in the group finals next week in their own hands.
Daichi Kamada (3rd minute) and striker Randal Kolo Muani (27th) scored in front of 48,700 spectators – including national coach Hansi Flick – for the Hessians, who are currently in excellent shape.
Even the interim equalizer by Matteo Guendouzi (22nd) did not stop the team of head coach Oliver Glasner. Because Tottenham drew 1-1 against Sporting Lisbon at the same time, anything from first to fourth place is possible next Tuesday (9 p.m.). If Eintracht wins in Portugal, they will remain in the premier class. In the event of a defeat, there is still a risk of fourth place and thus the complete end of Europe. So there could be complicated arithmetic games in group D. Against Marseille, the SGE managed to score the maximum of six points in two games.
Less than four minutes for the first goal
The Frankfurters started at full steam and had a dream and lightning start. After just 180 seconds, the fourth-placed Bundesliga player quickly took the lead. A cross pass from Evan Ndicka landed at Kamada, who shot in low from 14 meters. With committed pre-pressing, the hosts initially kept the French away from their own penalty area. In the 11th minute, carelessness in Eintracht’s defense by debutant Hrvoje Smolcic in the center was almost punished: Jonathan Clauss shot well wide of the left post from the edge of the penalty area from a completely free stand.
After the moment of shock, it was Mario Götze (15′) who almost made it 2-0 after a cross from Jesper Lindström, but his header just missed the right post. National coach Flick should not only have liked this action in the 50th Champions League game of the 30-year-old world champion from 2014. Just four minutes later, Christopher Lenz had the second big chance, but his shot from close range was blocked by Olympique goalkeeper Pau López with a foot reflex.
Unexpected equalizer
Out of nowhere came Guendouzi’s 1-1 equalizer in the 22nd minute, who shot the ball into the goal after a precise cross in the six-yard box. Unfazed by this, the hosts continued to steer their offensive course and took the lead again through Kolo Muani after a clever one-two with Götze. It would not have been amiss for the French to equalize just before half-time, but national goalkeeper Kevin Trapp saved the ball with a diving dive.
In a hectic and hard-fought second half, Marseille almost equalized in the 57th minute. Alexis Sanchez got the ball after a pass from Leonardo Balerdi, but his chip over Trapp went just wide of the left crossbar. After that, the deserved success was no longer in danger.
After the terrible riots on September 13 in Marseille, when fans of both clubs fired flares at each other during the game and a Eintracht fan was seriously injured, there were no incidents at Deutsche Bank Park. Just before kick-off, pyrotechnics were ignited in both fan blocks. Around 2,000 guest fans traveled from Marseille.
Schedule and Results Champions League Eintracht squad Olympique squad Group D table
