Younes Ebnoutalib hat-trick not enough as shares spoiled between Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt
Despite Younes Ebnoutalib's hat-trick, Eintracht Frankfurt were held to a 3-3 draw by Union Berlin on the opening weekend of the Bundesliga campaign at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei.
Goals: 1-0 Latte Lath 3’ (assist: Juranović), 1-1 Ebnoutalib 10’ (assist: Maluze), 1-2 Ebnoutalib 11’, 1-3 Ebnoutalib 67’ (assist: Baum), 2-3 Querfeld 79’ (assist: Juranović), 3-3 Skarke 90’+2 (assist Querfeld)
The two teams were looking to get their campaigns up and running at the first time of asking with new head coaches in the dugout; for Union, Mauro Lustrinelli was the new man at the helm, while Adi Hütter was embarking on his second stint in charge of the Eagles. There were also several Bundesliga debutants for both sides, with Zeno van den Bosch, Michel Aebischer and Emmanuel Latte Lath lining up for Union, while Noah Atubolu, Raphael Onyedika, Jeremiaha Maluze and Keita Kosugi were in the Frankfurt starting XI.
It was the hosts who made the dream start. From a Josip Juranović corner in just the third minute, Latte Lath rose highest to head the hosts into the lead with his first goal for the club. Nevertheless, Frankfurt responded quickly and, shortly after, they were level when Ebnoutalib pounced after Union failed to clear a corner, firing home the equaliser. Just 51 seconds later, he struck again, racing through after a loose pass from Leopold Querfeld to slot past Matheo Raab and put the visitors in front. Ultimately, there were few clear-cut chances for the rest of the first half as the game settled down somewhat.
Watch: Ebnoutalib celebrates putting Frankfurt ahead
Midway through the second half, Frankfurt appeared to have put the game to bed, and Ebnoutalib was again the goalscorer. On this occasion, he dispatched a powerful strike into the corner to give his teammates a two-goal cushion and become the first Frankfurt player to score a Bundesliga hat-trick in eight years. However, Union pushed for a way back into the encounter and with a little over 10 minutes remaining, Querfeld headed home from another Juranović corner to set up a nervy finale for the away side.
Union continued to press forward and were ultimately rewarded in the second minute of added time. A header from Querfeld found Tim Skarke, who finished with a backheel to level things up, sparking wild celebrations at the Alte Försterei. The result was probably fair on the balance of play, and both head coaches can take positives from this encounter into upcoming matches.
Man of the Match: Younes Ebnoutalib
Ebnoutalib scored all three of Frankfurt's goals, netting twice within 51 seconds in the first half before adding a third with a powerful strike in the 67th minute. His treble made him the first Eintracht player to score a Bundesliga hat-trick since Luka Jović in October 2018. Despite his efforts ultimately not being enough to secure victory, he was voted Man of the Match with 75 percent of the votes.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Union Berlin 2.56 - Eintracht Frankfurt 1.45
Lowest goal probability: 1:1 by Younes Ebnoutalib (Frankfurt), 20 percent
Fantasy Heroes: Younes Ebnoutalib (Frankfurt, 447 Points), Leopold Querfeld (Union, 281 Points), Noah Atubolu (Frankfurt, 182 Points)
