Bayer Leverkusen x West Ham Predictions”>Eintracht Frankfurt ultimately has no chance even against a B team from champions Bayer Leverkusen. But there is also this one if-and-but moment of the game.
Audio contribution
Audio
00:43 Min.
|
05.05.24
Leverkusen clearly beats Eintracht in the end
Audio End of audio post
Despite a partly decent performance, Eintracht Frankfurt missed the surprise on Sunday evening. The Hessians suffered their second home defeat of the season against the already established champions Bayer Leverkusen, 1:5 (1:2) after 90 minutes. Eintracht striker Hugo Ekitiké equalized Leverkusen’s Granit After the break, Exequiel Palacios (58’/FE), Jeremie Frimpong (77′) and Victor Boniface (89’/FE) increased the score.
Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller had only made subtle changes to his starting eleven compared to the Munich defeat. Fares Chaibi and Niels Nkounkou returned to the team, Ansgar Knauff and Aurelio Buta had to leave. The guests, on the other hand, made it clear before kick-off what significance the game had for them in the midst of European Cup weeks: a relatively minor one. Coach Xabi Alonso, himself suspended and represented on the sidelines by assistant Sebastian Parrilla, did not even include the much-used stars Flo Wirtz and Alejandro Grimaldo in the squad. Regulars like Jonathan Tah and Frimpong were also on the bench at the start of the game.
Chaibi refrains from defensive work
Still nothing to make Toppmöller happy. Immediately before kick-off, the football teacher saw a “big task” facing his team that could only be accomplished with “energy and aggressiveness”. The Hessians started accordingly courageously, winning two corners that – of course – fizzled out (but more on that in a moment).
Nevertheless, from Frankfurt’s point of view, the performance in the early stages was good, until the twelfth minute. Then it was 1-0 for Bayer. A free-standing Xhaka, after all the best six in the league, wasn’t worth it to Chaibi to do any defensive work. The Frankfurter allowed the goalscorer to shoot unchallenged from 18 meters. Nathan Tella (19th, 30th) and Jonas Hofmann (21st) missed further chances to make it 2-0 against the briefly unsettled home team.
Comments on Eintracht-Leverkusen “This is an absurd result”
Eintracht goes down against Leverkusen – but still highlights the positive. Almost everyone involved in Frankfurt speaks of a “brutal result”. The voices for the game.
Go to Article
Marmoush gives leadership, don’t send
And on the other side? There was another corner that – it was hard to believe – actually led to the equalizer via a detour. Shortly executed, Chaibi brought the ball from the half field to the second post, where Ekitiké took off and continued his personal run (32nd). A well-rehearsed variant. For the Frenchman it was the third goal in the third game in a row, for Eintracht it was the first goal from an (extended) corner since matchday 13 of last season.
And the if-ifs-and-buts moment of the game soon followed: Ekitiké, by far the most conspicuous Frankfurt player, was able to assert himself smoothly while dribbling and sent Omar Marmoush steeply, but he was left alone in front of Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky’s nerves failed. The attacker’s shot flew meters over the crossbar, a murmur went through the audience, some people recognized amateurish finishing qualities in this scene (42nd).
Nkounkou causes a penalty
On the other hand, it made chic chicer. The massive striker prevailed in an unequal header duel against Nkounkou and scored to give Bayer the lead again (44th) – Tuta had previously failed to prevent the cross. After the break, Nkounkou had everything under control – but it was his opponent’s jersey. A clear pluck, a senseless pluck, especially in his own penalty area. Palacios converted the penalty to make it 3-1 (58th).
Eintracht continued to struggle and had their chances, but there was no return. Instead, Bayer countered to make it 4-1 through substitute Frimpong (77th). Boniface finally scored from the point for the final score (89th). In short: Even the champions’ B team acted more ripped off than the best professionals in the sixth place in the table. Bayer was two sizes too big for Eintracht. While one side, Leverkusen, remains unbeaten in their 48th game of the season, the other side, Frankfurt, still needs a win to secure Europa League qualification in view of the table. Or the competition just keeps making mistakes.
Further information
Eintracht Frankfurt – Bayer Leverkusen 1:5 (1:2)
Frankfurt: Trapp – Tuta, Koch, Pacho – Dina Ebimbe (80. Buta), Götze, Skhiri (70. Larsson), Nkounkou (70. Knauff), Chaibi (80. Bahoya), Marmoush – Ekitike (80. Ferri)
Leverkusen: Hradecky – Kossounou, Andrich (83. Puerta), Tapsoba – Tella (72. Frimpong), Palacios, Xhaka (72 Tah), Arthur (61. Hincapie) – Hofmann, Schick (61. Boniface), Hlozek
Tore: 0:1 Xhaka (12th), 1:1 Ekitike (32nd), 1:2 Schick (44th), 1:3 Palacios (58th, penalty), 1:4 Frimpong (77th), 1:5 Boniface (89th, penalty)
Referee: Dingert (Lebecksmühle)
Viewers: 58.000
End of further information