Mijat Gacinovic's outstanding solo effort from 25 yards brought the game level for Eintracht Frankfurt in Rome, before Sebastien Haller added a second.
Mijat Gacinovic's outstanding solo effort from 25 yards brought the game level for Eintracht Frankfurt in Rome, before Sebastien Haller added a second. - © Filippo Monteforte, gettyimages
Mijat Gacinovic's outstanding solo effort from 25 yards brought the game level for Eintracht Frankfurt in Rome, before Sebastien Haller added a second. - © Filippo Monteforte, gettyimages
bundesliga

Eintracht Frankfurt come from behind against Lazio to complete six-win Europa League group stage

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Mijat Gacinovic inspired Eintracht Frankfurt to come from behind and make it a perfect six wins out of six in the UEFA Europa League this season with victory over Lazio in Rome.

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Lazio 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt

Goals: 1-0 Correa (56'), 1-1 Gacinovic (65'), 1-2 Haller (71')

Backed by their vociferous fans, who also outnumbered their hosts, Frankfurt soon sought a way past Lazio's insecure-looking back-up goalkeeper Silvio Proto. His at times unorthodox goalkeeping nevertheless ensured Lazio remained on terms before the hosts tried some attacking of their own. Their best chance of the first half was voluntarily interrupted by Joaquin Correa, who sportingly played the ball out rather than making an almost clear run on goal after Makoto Hasebe pulled up with a hamstring injury which ended his involvement in the game.

That gesture of fair play was ultimately rewarded when Correa put the hosts in front ten minutes into the second half, showing great composure to slot his shot low past Frederik Rönnow from Luis Alberto's pass. Frankfurt responded immediately and were back on level terms within ten minutes when Mijat Gacinovic brushed the cobwebs off the top left-hand corner of Lazio's goal with a stunning, unstoppable effort from fully 25 yards. Gacinovic then showed he can combine both precision and vision as he played an outstanding reverse pass into the path of Sebastien Haller, who put Lazio in front from close range. Nicolai Müller squandered a chance to put the result beyond doubt, but Lazio were unable to find an equaliser as Frankfurt marched into the last 32 with a perfect record.

Match stats

  • Frankfurt became the first German club to win all six Europa League group fixtures
  • Hütter's side are the only side to have won all six of their Europea League group stage fixtures (Salzburg currently have five from five).
  • Frankfurt became the first Bundesliga side to beat Lazio in the Eternal City in European club competition.
  • The Eagles now have a positive record from three trips to Italy, with two wins and just one defeat.
  • Eintracht have been beaten in just one of their last 11 away European games (W6, D4).
  • Frankfurt boast impressive European pedigree, having won the UEFA Cup (precursor to the Europa League) in 1979/80 and finishing as runners-up in the 1959/60 European Cup (precursor to the Champions League). They also won the Intertoto Cup in 1967.

Line-ups

Lazio: Proto - Bastos, Felipe, Acerbi - Caceres (Rossi 75'), Murgia, Cataldi (c), Berisha (Lulic 75'), Durmisi - Correa, Luis Alberto
Unused subs: Guerrieri, Alia, Basta, Wallace, Parolo
Out: Leiva (adductor), Marusic (hamstring)
Coach: Simone Inzaghi

Frankfurt: Ronnow - Russ (c), Hasebe (N'Dicka 32'), Falette - Da Costa, Gacinovic (Stendera 88'), Fernandes, Tawatha - Haller, Müller (Jovic 79')
Unused subs: Trapp, Zimmermann, Rebic, Beyreuther
Out: Allan (ligaments), Chandler (knee), Fabian (ineligible), Kostic (suspended), Salcedo (ineligible), Torro (adductor), Abraham (calf)
Coach: Adi Hütter