Eintracht Frankfurt leapfrog Augsburg with victory
Eintracht Frankfurt got back to winning ways in Augsburg, Raphael Framberger's own goal and Stefan Ilsanker's late strike separating the sides on Saturday.
Augsburg 0-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Framberger (o.g. 53'), 0-2 Ilsanker (87')
Augsburg welcomed Frankfurt to the WWK Arena with the hosts in ninth, just one place and two points better off than their visitors, and both teams came out with significant intent. Alfred Finnbogason was handed just his second start of the season by Die Fuggerstädter and he slipped strike partner Florian Niederlechner in for an early chance which was fired straight at Kevin Trapp. Filip Kostic then found Andre Silva in space at the other end, but recent Germany international Felix Uduokhai got back to block in the nick of time. Kostic then fired narrowly wide before Makoto Hasebe gifted Finnbogason a chance, but the Icelander dragged his effort past the post. Daniel Caligiuri and Ruben Vargas switched wings throughout the half, and the tactic looked likely to work when the former burst into the area unmarked, but Finnbogason held onto possession instead of playing in his teammate, and Daniel Siebert's whistle for half-time went with the deadlock intact.
The second half was less than 10 minutes old when it was broken, however. Silva crossed into the Augsburg area and when Jeffrey Gouweleeuw tried to salvage the situation his clearance bounced back off Framberger and into the home goal. The goal lifted Frankfurt and they poured forward in search of another, Rafal Gikiewicz having to be sharp to deny Kostic on the hour-mark. Adi Hütter sent Bas Dost into the fray for the final 15 minutes in attempt to get one of their chances to tell, but Augsburg - who had made a battery of substitutions of their own - weathered much of the late storm before Ilsanker capped off the 2-0 win, which pulls Eintracht up into ninth in the table.
Match stats
- Silva has now had a hand in six Frankfurt goals away from home. The Portugal striker has struck twice at the Deutsche Bank Park.
- Framberger's own goal was the first of his Bundesliga career.
- The win was Frankfurt's first in eight games. No team has shared the points as many as Die Adler's eight times this term.
- Frankfurt leapfrogged their hosts into the top half of the table, something they haven't occupied since Matchday 5.
- Finnbogason is without a Bundesliga goal since Augsburg's narrow 3-2 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach back in February.
- Frustrated today, Marco Richter had previously scored four of his nine league goals against Saturday's opponents.
Line-ups
Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Framberger, Gouweleeuw (c), Uduokhai, Iago (Strobl 78') - Richter, Khedira, Gruezo (Gregoritsch 78'), Caligiuri - Finnbogason, Niederlechner (Vargas 66')
Unused subs: Koubek, Gumny, Suchy, Oxford, Civeja, Berisha
Out: Bazee (knee), Hahn (not included), Jensen (ankle), Moravek (thigh)
Coach: Heiko Herrlich
Frankfurt: Trapp - Tuta, Hasebe (c), Hinteregger - Durm, Sow, Rode (Ilsanker 70'), Kostic (Chandler 88') - Barkok (Hrustic 76'), Younes (Dost 77') - Silva
Unused subs: Schubert, N'Dicka, Zuber, Kamada, Kohr
Out: Abraham (suspended), Ache (hamstring), Willems (knee)
Coach: Adi Hütter
Related news
5 reasons Germany will win Nations League
Germany have built on a good UEFA Euro 2024 campaign to go unbeaten in the Nations League so far, giving plenty of reason to hope they can win the tournament.
Harry Kane named October's Player of the Month
The Bayern Munich and England striker saw off competition from Willi Orbán, Ritsu Dōan, Tom Rothe, Vincenzo Grifo and Tim Kleindienst.
Hoffenheim appoint Ilzer as new head coach
Hoffenheim have landed the Austrian Bundesliga champions' coach.