Frankfurt vs Union Berlin: 1-1 Draw & Riera’s Impact

Nathaniel Brown’s late opening goal (84th minute) gave Frankfurt hope for a turnaround. But Union quickly and deservedly equalized with a penalty from Leopold Querfeld (87th). Before the penalty, Eintracht professional Oscar Höjlund was shown a yellow-red card for repeated foul play.

“I’m very proud of the team, given the way the game went, it’s bitter that we conceded the 1-1 draw,” said Frankfurt goalscorer Brown. He is impressed by Riera’s work. “He wants to give us a lot. It’s a lot of fun,” Brown continued.

At least the Spaniard Riera was able to somewhat stabilize the worst defense in the league with 46 goals conceded. Offensively, the team around former world champion Mario Götze again owed a lot.

But Union are probably not necessarily happy with the draw either, the Iron have not had a three-point win for six games and are still three points behind Eintracht. Union was unlucky in the 76th minute when Derrick Köhn hit the post.

The game had barely started when it was interrupted. Home fans set off numerous pyrotechnics in the stands during the choreo for the club’s 60th birthday, and the smoke massively obstructed visibility. Referee Sören Storks restarted the game after a six-minute interruption.

The guests from Hesse then took control of the game. Götze and Co. initially had significantly more possession of the ball without being able to capitalize on it. The crosses from Arnaud Kalimuendo (28th) and Nathaniel Brown (32nd) were not precise enough in a promising position.

The Frankfurt team, who had recently been so weak defensively, came under more pressure in front of their own goal from the middle of the first half. Goalkeeper Kaua Santos, who was given preference over Michael Zetterer, was able to excel on a long-range volley shot from Aljoscha Kemlein (41′).

Eintracht defended passionately – and the new head coach exemplified this on the sidelines. Riera was very active in his long dark coat; he clapped for successful actions and conducted a lot of gestures with his arms.

The successor to Dino Toppmöller, who was ultimately lucky and unsuccessful, spoke strongly to his unsettled players and exuded a lot of self-confidence himself. “Maybe I have a magic wand, but believe me, I will do it,” the Mallorcan said before the game: “Everything will be different.”

The Eintracht fans who traveled with them didn’t see magic football, but at least their team had improved defensively and tactically. In the 56th minute, Oscar Höjlund miserably missed Hessen’s first serious chance in the opponent’s penalty area. Overall, the game remained at a very manageable level, but in the end it became hectic.

The game was able to take place despite the difficult weather conditions with snowfall, ice grains and freezing rain. This was also ensured by Union fans who helped the club remove snow and ice in and around the An der Alten Försterei stadium. A similar action took place before the game against Mainz in January.