Martin Hinteregger fires Eintracht Frankfurt past Nuremberg and a step closer to top four
Eintracht Frankfurt closed the gap on the UEFA Champions League places to one point thanks to Martin Hinteregger's first-half goal against bottom club Nuremberg.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 Nuremberg
Goals: 1-0 Hinteregger (31')
Nuremberg spurned a great chance to put a cat amongst the Eagles inside three minutes, but captain Hanno Behrens sent his header from a Sebastian Kerk corner over. It was all Frankfurt from thereon in, with Goncalo Paciencia miscuing from close range and Luka Jovic seeing his headed effort cleared off the line. Jovic was the catalyst for the inevitable breakthrough, however. The Serbian showed X-ray vision to release Filip Kostic, whose equally measured pass was tucked away by Augsburg loanee Martin Hinteregger. Paciencia followed in a Kostic strike which came back off the crossbar moments later, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Frankfurt picked up where they left off at at the break as Jovic tested Christian Mathenia early in the second half. Nuremberg had a rare sight of Kevin Trapp’s goal following a corner, but Yuya Kubo was unable to keep his first-time strike down from 18 yards. The Eintracht onslaught resumed as Paciencia thundered a header against the upright, before Ewerton made a heroic block in front of goal to deny Frankfurt substitute Sebastien Haller from close range. Eintracht needed a big Trapp save from Behrens to preserve their slender lead, but the hosts - who had an Ante Rebic effort chalked off late on - were fully deserving of the points.
Match stats
- Eintracht have won their last four in a row in the Bundesliga.
- Frankfurt have gone nine games unbeaten under Adi Hütter for the first time - their best run since 1993.
- Frankfurt are on 51 goals for the season. The last time they scored so many after 26 matches was in 1991/92.
- Hinteregger scored his sixth Bundesliga goal, and third of the season. He is the second-highest scoring defender in the league this season.
- Nuremberg have lost 15 of their last 20 Bundesliga games, winning none. Their club record miserable run is the worst in the Bundesliga since Kaiserslautern failed to win in 21 outings during the 2011/12 season.
- Only Tasmania Berlin (1965/66), Wuppertaler SV (1974/75), Blau Weiß 90 Berlin (1986/87) and Hertha Berlin (1990/91) have had 13 points — as Nuremberg have — or fewer from 26 matches in a top-flight campaign.
Line-ups
Frankfurt: Trapp – Toure, Hinteregger, Hasebe – Da Costa, Rode, Fernandes (c), Kostic (Willems 86') – Gacinovic – Paciencia (Haller 63'), Jovic (Rebic 76')
Unused subs: Rönnow, Falette, De Guzman, Stendera
Out: Abraham (thigh), Chandler (knee)
Coach: Adi Hütter
Nuremberg: Mathenia – Mühl, Ewerton, Bauer – Kerk, Tillman (Salli 58'), Erras, Löwen, Kubo (Margreitter, 83') - Behrens (c) - Ishak (Knöll 68')
Unused subs: Bredlow, Ilicevic, Fuchs, Rhein
Out: Goden (muscular), Leibold (suspended), Lippert (knee), Misidjan (thigh), Pereira (suspended), Petrak (groin), Valentini (thigh), Zrelak (cruciate ligament)
Coach: Boris Schommers
Watch: Fernandes: "The city and club are proud of us"
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