Michael Gregoritsch cancelled out Daichi Kamada’s goal to earn Augsburg a 1-1 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt as Ricardo Pepi made his first Bundesliga start.

Augsburg 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Kamada 22’ (assist: Borre), 1-1 Gregoritsch 38‘ (assist: Iago)

It took Pepi just 10 minutes of his full Augsburg debut to find a chance to open his scoring account, but the 19-year-old American lifted his effort narrowly wide. Frankfurt, however, made no mistake at the other end after Niklas Dorsch lost the ball and Rafael Borre played it through to Kamada. The Japan international rounded Rafal Gikiewicz and slotted home his second of the campaign. Jesper Lindstrom should’ve made it 2-0 when he was also played through from deep and cut inside his man, but the Dane only found the outside of the post. Pepi did have the ball in the net shortly after the half-hour mark but had it chalked off due to Andi Zeqiri’s foul on Makoto Hasebe to play the ball in. The Bavarians were level by the break, though, when Gregoritsch beat Diant Ramaj, deputising for Kevin Trapp, at his near post after the youngest goalkeeper to feature in the Bundesliga this season anticipated a cross.

Eintracht had one chalked off themselves shortly after the restart when Evan N’Dicka was flagged offside after the ball came back into the box following a free-kick. Almamy Toure then failed to connect with a teasing cross from former USA international Timothy Chandler. There was little more goalmouth action in the closing minutes when Lindstrom found himself one-on-one with Gikiewicz but was denied by the goalkeeper. Substitute Florian Niederlechner was then also thwarted from point-blank range in added time as Augsburg had to settle for a point that takes them above VfB Stuttgart and out of the relegation play-off spot. Frankfurt remain eighth but only three points off Hoffenheim in fourth.

Match stats

• Kamada got his second Bundesliga goal of the season, both away from home. Frankfurt have never lost a league game in which he’s scored (W5, D4).
• Borre has had a direct hand in a goal in each of the last six Bundesliga games, scoring four and setting up another four in that run.
• Gregoritsch scored his fourth of the campaign, including both of Augsburg’s in the Rückrunde. They’ve all come in the last seven games.
• Pepi had two shots, 34 touches and did the most sprints of all Augsburg players (33) in his 84 minutes on the pitch.
• Frankfurt have now dropped points from winning positions six times this season (D4, L2).
• Eintracht are unbeaten in their last five Bundesliga meetings with Augsburg (W3, D2), but have still only won two of nine visits to the WWK Arena.

Watch: Pepi: "It was a good game"

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Line-ups

Augsburg: Gikiewicz – Gumny, Oxford, Gouweleeuw (c), Iago (Uduokhai 46’) – Maier, Dorsch – Vargas (Hahn 68’), Zeqiri (Pedersen 46’) – Pepi, Gregoritsch (Niederlechner 68’)
Unused subs: Klein, Moravek, Sarenren Bazee, Caligiuri, Finnbogason
Out: Koubek (not included), Strobl (knee)
Coach: Markus Weinzierl

Frankfurt: Ramaj – Tuta, Hasebe, N'Dicka – Toure, Rode (c) (Jakic 79’), Sow, Chandler (Hinteregger 81’) – Kamada – Lindstrom, Borre (Paciencia 81’)
Unused subs: Grahl, Ilsanker, Hrustic, Lammers, Ache, Durm
Out: Barkok (Africa Cup of Nations), Da Costa (not included), Hauge (thigh), Kostic (not included), Lenz (calf), Trapp (not included)
Coach: Oliver Glasner

About the clubs

FC Augsburg

WWK ARENA

Eintracht Frankfurt

Deutsche Bank Park