Marmoush masterclass propels Frankfurt to victory over Heidenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Heidenheim, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice in an assured performance from the Eagles.
Heidenheim 0-4 Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Marmoush (assist: Brown) 22‘, 0-2 Chaïbi 49’, 0-3 Marmoush 58’, 0-4 Ekitiké (assist: Knauff) 90'+4
Eintracht arrived at the Voith-Arena looking to strengthen their grip on second place in the Bundesliga and extend their unbeaten run in the division to five games. Heidenheim, meanwhile, were hoping to end a run of six games without a win.
Marmoush breaks the deadlock
The opening stages of this Matchday 12 encounter were evenly contested, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. Heidenheim had the first real opportunity in the 12th minute when Mikkel Kaufmann forced a save from Kevin Trapp. However, it was Frankfurt who struck first in the 22nd minute. Nathaniel Brown won the ball near his own half before driving forward and slipping in Marmoush, who finished clinically past Kevin Müller. The Egyptian striker nearly doubled his tally just eight minutes later, but his close-range effort with the outside of his boot went narrowly wide.
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Frankfurt extend their lead
Both teams made changes at half-time, with Heidenheim bringing on Sirlord Conteh for Paul Wanner, while Frankfurt introduced Farès Chaïbi in place of Igor Matanović. The substitution paid immediate dividends for Frankfurt as Chaïbi found the back of the net just four minutes into the second half, doubling their lead. The goal came after good work from Brown and a helping hand from Heidenheim defender Patrick Mainka, whose attempted interceptions provided the assist for Chaïbi's goal.
Marmoush seals the deal
Frankfurt continued to press their advantage, and in the 58th minute, Marmoush struck again. The forward picked up the ball just inside the Heidenheim half, beat a defender, and slotted coolly into the far corner to make it 3-0. Heidenheim tried to respond, with Jan Schöppner coming close in the 60th minute, but Frankfurt's defence held firm.
With a comfortable lead, Frankfurt controlled the remainder of the match. Dino Toppmöller's side continued to create chances, with Marmoush coming close to completing his hat-trick on a couple of occasions. Heidenheim showed spirit but struggled to break down Frankfurt's resolute defence. The final blow came in stoppage time when Ekitiké tapped in from close range after good work from Chaïbi and Ansgar Knauff, sealing an emphatic 4-0 victory for the visitors.
Player of the Match: Omar Marmoush
Marmoush was undoubtedly the standout performer, proving a constant threat to the Heidenheim defence throughout the match. The Egyptian forward scored two goals, taking his tally to 13 for the season - just one behind Harry Kane in the Bundesliga scoring charts. With seven shots in total, four on target and two goals, Marmoush's performance was instrumental in Frankfurt's dominant victory.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Heidenheim 0.75 - Frankfurt 2.62
Fastest player: Ansgar Knauff (SGE), 35.27 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 4-0 by Hugo Ekitiké (SGE), 97 percent
Most pressed player: Omar Marmoush (SGE), 35 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Hugo Larsson (SGE), +5.26
Fantasy Heroes: Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt, 405 Points), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt, 391 Points), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt, 218 Points)
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