Hugo Ekitiké and Omar Marmoush: Eintracht Frankfurt's next strike partnership set to take the Bundesliga by storm
Hugo Ekitiké and Omar Marmoush have been in dazzling form for Eintracht Frankfurt so far in 2024/25, serving up a reminder of the club's 's strong tradition of devastating attacking partnerships.
bundesliga.com outlines how they are following a proud history of heroic Frankfurt forwards.
Only 23 minutes had passed in Frankfurt's first home fixture of the season against Hoffenheim on Matchday 2 when they first combined their attacking powers to devastating effect. Marmoush took a long pass down the left on a break and showed extraordinary vision to thread a ball through a small gap in the visitors' defence for Ekitiké to take, round Oliver Baumann with swagger and slot in.
The forceful show of the pair's attacking might was followed minutes later by a moment of sheer footballing poetry as the Egyptian drifted inside from the left again to lay it towards Ekitiké - who held back this time and prodded a deft little pass for Hugo Larsson to chase behind the bewildered Hoffenheim backline and clip past Baumann.
By the time Marmoush added a goal of his own in the second half, it was clear for all to see that Frankfurt's attack is fully fired up for the season ahead and powered by a wonderful understanding between two thrilling players.
Watch: Marmoush and Ekitiké run riot as Frankfurt beat Hoffenheim.
If the beaming faces around the stands of Deutsche Bank Park looked particularly radiant in the Frankfurt late summer sun, it was no doubt because fond memories of yesteryear were being rekindled by the formidable forwards, who linked up yet again against Wolfsburg next time out.
The early 90s has a special place in the hearts of Frankfurt fans - and for good reason. The Eagles regularly challenged for the Bundesliga title, missing out by just two points in 1991/92 and topping the table at the halfway stage of 1993/94 - with their thrilling attacking football widely celebrated.
Two mercurial attacking talents epitomised that era for Eintracht. Jay-Jay Okocha was a joyful winger whose range of dinks and tricks were beyond what German football had ever seen at that time. Jürgen Klopp is far from alone in thinking his fabulously cheeky goal against a Karlsruhe side featuring Oliver Kahn in August 1993 is the greatest goal in Bundesliga history.
Watch: Okocha's wondergoal for Frankfurt against Kahn
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While Okocha was leaving defenders in a twist from the wing, Tony Yeboah was busy scoring from here, there and everywhere. Ask anyone who followed the Bundesliga in the early 90s and they will likely rave about some of the Ghanaian's long-range stunners or acrobatic efforts as if they were netted yesterday.
The frequency of Yeboah's goals was frightening too - with his 38 strikes in just 49 Bundesliga appearances over the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons seeing him crowned the league's top goalscorer at the end of both campaigns.
Attackers with talents of that magnitude simply do not come in the same side all too often, yet Frankfurt found further attacking fortune a generation later. The Eagles had a front three to cherish in 2018/2019 as Luka Jović, Ante Rebić and Sebastien Haller smashed 41 Bundesliga goals between them - and the so-called 'Buffalo Herd' followed that up with 16 goals in the UEFA Europa League as Eintracht made the semi-finals.
The trio had a superb mix of attacking weapons, with Rebić a winger with a real knack of turning inside and finding the net, Jović an artful finisher and Haller a canny penalty-box operator.
Although that trio departed in summer 2019, it wasn't long until Frankfurt had their next goal hero: André Silva plundered 28 goals in 32 league appearances in 2020/21, while Rafael Borré led the line with four goals in 12 European outings en route to their incredible 2022 Europa League triumph.
Watch: Luka Jovic scores five goals as Frankfurt beat Fortuna Dusseldorf 7-1 in 2018/19
Frankfurt's fondness for attacking phenomena was then rekindled the following season as Randal Kolo Muani joined for 2022/23 - and the explosive Frenchman set the Bundesliga alight with a league-leading 26 goal involvements (15 goals and 11 assists) as the Eagles also made the last 16 of the Champions League.
Fast forward to 2024/25 and something very special seems to be brewing in the Frankfurt strikeforce again. Having joined on a permanent basis this summer following his loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain - the side Kolo Muani switched to in 2023 - Ekitiké is flourishing, with the opener against Hoffenheim extending a run of goals in each of his past four home Bundesliga matches.
Marmoush looks to be in the mood to press on having already shone last season in netting 12 goals - his best ever Bundesliga haul - following his move from Wolfsburg. He's now already a quarter of the way there just three games in, netting a brace against his old side on Matchday 3. The first, unsurprisingly, coming from an Ekitiké assist before another from the penalty spot.
Watch: All of Omar Marmoush's Bundesliga goals in 2023/24
Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche is clearly thrilled by the promise shown by the partnership: "Hugo has incredible ability. A good understanding of the game, good technique, speed and finishing. If he keeps on like that, he definitely has a good chance of making the French national team.
"Omar and has developed extremely well in the past year. The way he kept cool in front of goal and picked a spot past the goalkeeper is a sign of his development. He still has a lot of potential for more."
Marmoush was an injury against Wolfsburg after his exploits with Egypt over the international break, but still returned to link-up with his new partner, showing that even injury doubts can't stop the Bundesliga's latest must-watch duo.
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