Borussia Dortmund ended Eintracht Frankfurt’s winning streak and managed to return to a place in the Champions League. BVB prevailed 2-1 (1-1) in the spectacular top game of the Bundesliga on Saturday evening and remains three points behind series champions FC Bayern. Julian Brandt (21st minute) and Jude Bellingham (52nd) scored for Dortmund, who had to fight for success against an enormously present Frankfurt team with a lot of efficiency, a bit of luck and an outstanding goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
In front of 50,000 spectators, Daichi Kamada (26th) was successful for Eintracht. Three days before the decisive Champions League group game at Sporting Lisbon, the Europa League winner around ex-world champion Mario Götze was only good this time, but not the result. Coach Oliver Glasner also failed to win a point in the seventh Bundesliga comparison with Dortmund. Eintracht, who had previously won four competitive games in a row, is fifth in the table with 20 points.
Before the reunion with his ex-club, Götze was the center of attention because his recent performances also recommended him for participation in the World Cup in Qatar. But there was no reunion with his old friend Marco Reus: As a precaution, the BVB captain was rested after his ankle injury. And on the lawn of the Frankfurt World Cup stadium, players other than Götze initially attracted attention.
Eintracht Frankfurt was courageous in attack
For example Mats Hummels, who decisively stopped several actions by the hosts. From the stable defense came Dortmund’s first really good attack. Salih Özcan served winger Donyell Malen with an opening diagonal ball. The Dutchman prevailed strongly against the staggering Tuta and served the national player Brandt, who shot in the middle from almost ten meters low and powerful.
The response from Eintracht, who were again aggressive and courageous, was not long in coming. Striker Randal Kolo Muani captured the ball in the center and put it across to Kamada in front of the penalty area. The Japanese shot powerfully and precisely into the far corner, scoring his seventh Bundesliga goal of the season.
Eintracht then took control of the game. Kamada, Götze and Kolo Muani combined well and created more chances. First Jesper Lindström failed from a distance, later Kolo Muani, who whirled everywhere. Shortly before the half-time whistle he had the 2:1 on his feet, but an elegant chip over Dortmund’s goalkeeper Kobel landed on the inside of the post (43rd). The lead would have been deserved at that point.
Krösche’s fundamental criticism – “I’m getting on my nerves”
The most controversial scene occurred just before the half-time whistle. After Götze had held his own against Schlotterbeck on the right and with a bit of luck, Frankfurt’s Kolo Muani finally got the shot from a tight angle. The striker put his lob on the left inside post. As a result, Eintracht’s Lindström was actually able to push in, but was clearly pushed by Adeyemi and fell. Referee Sascha Stegemann was not impressed and did not give the penalty due.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s sports director Markus Krösche criticized the referee team after the game. The 42-year-old was angry about the scene in the 42nd minute when Stegemann did nothing.
“If we have this video assistant, then just use it. If you don’t use it, my God, then let it be, stamp the basement,” said Krösche, who did not want to express his criticism “as an alibi for defeat”. At first it was unclear how and whether the video assistant had rated the disputed one.
Stegemann didn’t decide on a penalty, but on a handball by the Dane immediately after Adeyemi pushed Jesper Lindström. There was a free kick for BVB. “These are things that really get on my nerves,” said Krösche: “We have this assistant. Then ask him. And if you then change your mind, that’s perfectly fine with me. But that’s a joke.” Krösche said he didn’t know whether Stegemann had asked.
“Frankfurt should have given a penalty,” admits Stegemann
The Eintracht sports director basically criticized the video evidence: “We’ve had this discussion a few times. We talked about it 840 times with the clubs, with the referees. I have no idea, I don’t know what they do, especially how they use it. Sometimes they use it, sometimes not. That’s for me – we can’t do it like that, we don’t need to do it like that. Then I’d rather say the referee made a wrong decision, that’s human, not an issue.”
Referee Stegemann later publicly admitted a mistake after the much-discussed penalty scene. When asked whether the denied penalty for Frankfurt was a wrong decision, Stegemann said on the Sky broadcaster: “Yes. When I now see the pictures with the corresponding camera perspectives, it must be clearly stated that there should have been a penalty for Eintracht Frankfurt because the situation is different in the TV pictures and especially in slow motion than it is on the field for me .”
Remarkably honest: referee Sascha Stegemann
Source: Getty Images/Alexander Hassenstein
It had “a clear impulse with both hands that were not stretched out, but were sufficient to bring the opponent down,” said Stegemann after viewing the video images. He couldn’t see a clear foul on the field and also transported this to the video cellar in Cologne. “There the situation was reviewed and found not clear and obviously wrong. That’s why the game continued at the end of the day,” reported the 37-year-old Stegemann.
Spectacular goal area scenes almost every minute
After the break, BVB had sorted themselves out at the back – and struck ice cold at the front. After playing with striker Youssoufa Moukoko, the previously rather inconspicuous Bellingham appeared free in front of Kevin Trapp and converted precisely with his left. In return, only Kobel’s strong reaction prevented Lindstrom from equalizing immediately (55′). Kolo Muani and Götze failed in another double chance to Kobel and Nico Schlotterbeck, who cleared the line.
In this phase, there were spectacular goal-area scenes almost every minute – all of them in the penalty area of the Dortmund guests. A clash between Götze and Kobel was followed by the next big chance for Kolo Muani, who worked a lot but just didn’t want to score. Lindström also failed again at Kobel and his foot defense. The game only calmed down after almost 70 minutes. Eintracht pressed for the equalizer.
