One thing was one of the characteristics of Eintracht in the last few weeks of the end of the football year: their game was characterized by a great surprise effect, and the mood around the club changed in a very short time between sky-high jubilation and deathly sadness.
On the 15th matchday of the Bundesliga, the Frankfurt team failed to amaze themselves and others again with an unexpected performance. Three days after the inglorious performance in the Conference League in Aberdeen, things took a predictable turn in Leverkusen: On Sunday, coach Dino Toppmöller’s team, which had no chance at all, lost to the Werkself 0-3.
The Bayer ensemble thus extended its winning streak and, thanks to its twelfth league win since the start of the round, is now unbeaten in 24 games in a row across all competitions. Victor Boniface (14th minute), Jeremie Frimpong (52nd) and Florian Wirtz (57th) scored the goals this time. In contrast to the coup against FC Bayern a week ago (5:1), Toppmöller’s courageous players were unable to show a level of resistance that would take the opponent by surprise.
“Too many simple mistakes”
After their fourth defeat in the first half of the season, they are in eighth place in the table with just 21 points. The ranking is led by the trendsetters from Leverkusen (39 points). Eintracht, in which defense chief Robin Koch was substituted with a heel injury after around an hour, has one last opportunity to improve on the previously manageable yield before the winter break on Wednesday at home against Mönchengladbach. “We rightly lost,” said Markus Krösche. After the tenth defeat in a row in Leverkusen, the sports director spoke of “too many simple mistakes”.
While Bayer coach a thinned-out squad.
Not an unfamiliar picture: Bayer Leverkusen professionals celebrating a goal. : Image: AFP
Both goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and midfielder Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, who had both had to leave the field with injuries in Aberdeen, were then part of the starting line-up; as did Fares Chaibi, who was slowed down by a cold during his trip to the Scottish winter. The Algerian started as a central attacker in place of the suspended Omar Marmoush. However, he remained a shadow of himself in the unfamiliar position.
This was also due to the fact that he received hardly any support on the wing from Ansgar Knauff, who this time started on the left with a more offensive orientation than Dina Ebimbe on the right. The Frenchman didn’t achieve much that was uplifting; he couldn’t use his running strength or score points in duels. Regardless, Eintracht initially tried not to limit themselves to defending their own territory, but many of their passes were too imprecise.
Toppmöller’s selection did not succeed in more than a warning shot from Willian Pacho, which Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky (who was one of Eintracht’s cup-winning heroes in 2018) easily fended off in their attempt to create moments of danger themselves. The situation increasingly developed as was obvious given the starting position: Leverkusen took control, had a ball possession rate of 60 percent in the first half and found space through quick switching.
And with the first determined attack they took the lead: Wirtz was able to pick up the pace undisturbed behind the kick-off circle and found the partner he was looking for in Boniface. The Nigerian got into the desired finishing position in a running duel with Tuta and pushed the ball past Trapp into the right corner. The goalkeeper did not absolve himself of blame for conceding a goal after he did not get to the ground quickly enough. “I have to have it, even on bad days,” said Trapp, “the goal is my responsibility.”
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The second half got off to a better start for Eintracht with a counterattack via Buta, with Hradecky decisively getting in the way (47′), before Boniface turned it up on the other side: Trapp blocked his shot, but Jeremie Frimpong was quickly there to score from close range to make it 2-0. Wirtz extended the lead with a remarkable shot, Eintracht reeled noticeably and was lucky that things didn’t get any worse: the final whistle was a relief for the team.
