bundesliga

John Brooks rescues a late point for Wolfsburg in draw with Eintracht Frankfurt

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USA international defender John Brooks scored a last-minute equaliser to earn Wolfsburg a point at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final Matchday 30 fixture on Monday.

Wolfsburg 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1
De Guzman (78'), 1-1 Brooks (90')

Wolfsburg may have been the home team but it was the visitors who made the more assured start at the Volkswagen Arena, controlling the ball early on and forcing the Wolves to chase the game. Nevertheless, the first clear chance fell to Wout Weghorst, the unmarked striker collecting Maximilian Arnold's left-wing cross 10 yards out, only to see his shot cleared off the line by Makoto Hasebe. Admir Mehmedi then tested Kevin Trapp with a long-range drive before teeing up Yannick Gerhardt, whose header flew over the bar. The Eagles were as industrious as ever going forward, but lacked the creative spark to seriously test Pavao Pervan in a goalless first half.

The hosts turned up the intensity after the break in an effort to test Frankfurt's stamina after their draining European outings, and were almost rewarded for their bolder approach. Robin Knoche rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner before Arnold struck the post with a superb volley from the edge of the area in a period in which the away side struggled to get out of their own half. They turned out to be costly misses for the hosts, as Frankfurt substitute Jonathan de Guzman was first to react to Filip Kostic's blocked shot in the 78th minute, slotting in from close range to seemingly give the Eagles all three points. However, Wolfsburg poured forward in the closing stages and grabbed a deserved equaliser shortly before the final whistle when Brooks tapped in from Felix Klaus' pass.

Jonathan de Guzman looked to have given the Eagles all three points with his opener in the 78th minute. - AFP/Getty Images

Match stats

  • Brooks' goal was his third of the campaign, a personal single-season best.
  • His effort was the ninth goal scored by a Wolfsburg defender this season - a record they share with Bayern Munich in 2018/19.
  • De Guzman scored his third Bundesliga goal of the season, and first as a substitute.
  • The Wolves have now conceded 13 goals in the final 15 minutes of games this term.
  • Luka Jovic received his first booking of the season in this game.
  • Frankfurt's goal frame has been struck 15 times this season, more than any team apart from Mainz.
  • This was Wolfsburg's first ever Bundesliga match on a Monday.

Line-ups

Wolfsburg: Pervan – William, Knoche, Brooks, Tisserand (Steffen 82') – Gerhardt (Malli 64'), Guilavogui (c), Arnold – Mehmedi – Ginczek (Klaus 86'), Weghorst
Unused subs: Menzel, Brekalo, Jung, Rexhbecaj
Out: Camacho (ankle), Casteels (thigh), Verhaegh (rib), Roussillon (muscular)
Coach: Bruno Labbadia

Frankfurt: Trapp – Abraham (c), Hasebe, Falette – Da Costa, Torro, Rode (de Guzman 69'), Kostic – Gacinovic – Paciencia (Toure 90'), Jovic (Rebic 69')
Unused subs: Rönnow, N'Dicka, Willems, Chandler
Out: Fernandes (suspended), Haller (abdominal strain), Stendera (back), Tawatha (ankle), Hinteregger (thigh)
Coach: Adi Hütter