Eit couldn’t have been better written in the script. Captain David Abraham said goodbye to Eintracht and professional football with a well-deserved 3-1 win against FC Schalke 04 – and Luka Jovic, who came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, scored two goals in his first game. When the game ended on Sunday evening at the end of the 16th Bundesliga matchday, Eintracht coach Adi Hütter immediately ran onto the field to his Capitano. He hugged Abraham, he hugged him deeply – and he even gave him a kiss in the emotion.
The Eintracht players then formed a large circle, Abraham, who had previously swapped his jersey with referee Manuel Grafe, said Adios – and the sporting highlights of Abraham’s five and a half years in Frankfurt could be seen in short on the video cube in the Frankfurt Arena. “That was a lot of events today,” said Eintracht coach Hütter later and was happy about a “great, deserved, clear victory. The most important topic for me is saying goodbye to David Abraham, who made 178 games for us. We’re losing a great player and a great person. He held out his bones for 16 years. “
No spectators, but lots of goodbye goals? That would have been entirely to the taste of 34-year-old Abraham, who is going back to his home in Argentina and to his four-year-old son Alfonso after the end of his career – and it could have happened that way. The unity played out opportunities in abundance. Goals, however, did not want to fall for the clearly superior Eintracht against Schalker who was completely defensive. Twice within a short space of time it was Aymen Barkok, who had returned to the starting line-up, who should have been successful. But he missed twice (3rd and 7th minute of the game).
Eintracht was powerful on the trigger, let the ball and opponent run. Only the reward was a long time coming. In the 24th minute Martin Hinteregger had bad luck after a corner from Amin Younes that Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann was just able to parry the header. It was already the third big chance of harmony. When André Silva got the ball four minutes later in the penalty area, the starting position was not so clear. But the Portuguese once again showed his great class and coolness, because with a skillful turn he gave himself a free shot and completed the overdue 1-0. For Silva it was the twelfth goal of the season.
The lead had emerged, what happened then surprised. Only sixty seconds after the Frankfurt 1-0, it was suddenly 1: 1. Hinteregger had completely misjudged a situation in his own penalty area, and because goalkeeper Kevin Trapp hesitated to run out, Matthew Hoppe, profiting from the Eintracht blackout, scored to make it 1-1. The game was turned upside down. With three minutes before the break, Erik Durm could have brought things back to normal. But with his left-footed shot, Fährmann showed his great ability again.
The perfect end to a perfect evening
Hütter acted, took the ailing Hinteregger out of the game shortly after the break, who was replaced by Ajdin Hrustic. An attacking midfielder who should help crack the Schalke defense bar. Makoto Hasebe relocated his work area from midfield to the defense center. Schalke were initially better at the beginning of the second half, but Hütter wanted to change that with power. In the 62nd minute, returnees Jovic came to his use. It took exactly ten minutes, then Eintracht had its goosebumps moment. Filip Kostic picked up the pace on the left, precisely circled the ball into the penalty area – and his Serbian friend Jovic drove the ball into Schalke’s goal to make it 2-1. A phenomenal shot and a clear signal: Jovic has returned very spectacularly.
But that’s not all. In the first minute of the three-minute stoppage time, Jovic struck a second time ice-cold. Again it was his buddy Kostic who put him in the limelight, and again Jovic showed his great ability. 3: 1 – it was the perfect end to a perfect evening, which could not have gone better for Eintracht, who have now advanced to seventh place with 26 points.
Captain Abraham says goodbye to his great sporting love Eintracht with a victory, and goal scorer Jovic reports back to his Frankfurt soccer friends with two goals. “That was a script like a Hollywood movie,” said Fredi Bobic on Sky. On the day full of “sadness and joy”, the Eintracht sports director was happy that Captain Abraham was able to celebrate such an emotional and successful farewell. “David is a great guy who we will miss off the pitch as well.”
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