Eintracht Frankfurt marched into the top four of the Bundesliga with Filip Kostic and Luka Jovic on target in a 3-0 win over struggling Stuttgart.

Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 VfB Stuttgart

Goals: 1-0 Kostic (45'), 2-0 Kostic (64'), 3-0 Jovic (84')

With Sebastian Haller, Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic leading the Frankfurt attack for the first time since a 3-0 win over Hannover just over a month ago, the excitement levels were high in the Commerzbank Arena, and the fans were ripped from their seats for the first time after just a few minutes when Haller and Rebic combined for the first chance. Marc-Oliver Kempf went closer than they did at the other end, hitting the crossbar, but Ron-Robert Zieler was the first of the goalkeepers to make a save when Sebastian Rode thought he was about to put the hosts in front. An injury to Christian Gentner forced Markus Weinzierl into a change ten minutes before the break, with Daniel Didavi coming on, and the Stuttgart coach would have been proud of his team until seconds before the half-time whistle when Kostic pounced on a loose ball and rifled a shot past Zieler and into the top corner.

Both sides employed counter-attacking tactics, resulting in chances being created at both ends of the field, and Frankfurt's lead was looking slender until Kostic struck again. It was route one stuff as Frankfurt burst clear from inside their own half with Rebic receiving a long ball and putting Kostic through to do the rest with a composed finish. Stuttgart's heads dropped and Rebic almost put the result beyond doubt, striking into the side-netting, before Jovic sealed the deal and Frankfurt's place in the top four with a powerful finish five minutes from time.

Filip Kostic tucked home his second goal past Ron-Robert Zieler to seal his first Bundesliga brace. - imago images / Schüler

Match stats

• Jovic, Rebic and Haller have combined for 37 league goals. Only Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester City have more prolific trios in Europe’s five major leagues (per UEFA coefficient).
• Die Adler have gone ten Bundesliga games without defeat – their best record in 25 years. The UEFA Europa League quarter-finalists are unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions.
• Kostic scored his first brace in the Bundesliga, and his fourth goal in his past five league appearances.
• Jovic has now scored twice as many goals - 16 - this season compared to the eight he got last term.
• Eintracht also won the reverse fixture 3-0.
• Stuttgart have lost both games in a season against Frankfurt for the first time in history.

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Line-ups

Frankfurt: Trapp – Hinteregger, Hasebe, N'Dicka – Da Costa, Rode, Fernandes (c), Kostic (Willems 89') – Rebic (Paciencia 85') – Haller (De Guzman 75'), Jovic
Unused subs: Rönnow, Falette, Abraham, Tuta
Out: Gacinovic (heel), Chandler (knee), Torro (illness), Tawatha (muscular)
Coach: Adi Hütter

Stuttgart: Zieler – Beck, Pavard, Kabak, Kempf, Insua – Esswein, Gentner (c) (Didavi 34'), Castro, Zuber Aogo 72') – Gonzalez (Gomez 79')
Unused subs: Grahl, Baumgartl, Donis, Thommy
Out: Ascacibar (suspended)
Coach: Markus Weinzierl

Watch: Da Costa on Frankfurt's mindset for the rest of the season!

About the clubs

Eintracht Frankfurt

Deutsche Bank Park

VfB Stuttgart

MHPArena