analyse
Eintracht Frankfurt loses at Bayer Leverkusen and slips out of the Europa League ranks. The defense is shaking, Mario Götze complains, the season could end badly.
Eintracht Frankfurt has on Saturday lost 1:3 at Bayer Leverkusen and slipped down to seventh place in the Bundesliga table. Amine Adli (10th minute), Moussa Diaby (34′) and Sardar Azmoun (90’+5′) scored for the hosts, Djirbril Sow’s goal (74′) was only a cosmetic result.
1. DFB-Pokal hui, Bundesliga pfui
Four days after acclaimed entry into the semi-finals of the DFB Cup Eintracht at Bayer Leverkusen landed back on the hard ground of everyday facts. The Hessians were initially unable to take the momentum from the win against Union Berlin and remained without a win for the sixth time in a row in the Bundesliga. The result: Eintracht, who were only able to celebrate two wins in the entire second half of the season, are still in free fall in the league and slipped out of the Europa League ranks for the first time since the 7th matchday.
If 1. FSV Mainz 05 hadn’t given up the win against Werder Bremen at the last second, Eintracht would have dropped down to eighth place. Should VfL Wolfsburg win in Gladbach on Sunday, it could still happen a day late. The former goal of finishing fourth in the season and getting back into the Champions League is long gone. Eintracht is currently miles behind their own ambitions in the Bundesliga.
2. Eintracht is overrun by Leverkusen’s pace
Speaking of lagging behind: The Hessians did the same when the hosts put their foot down. At the press conference before the game, Frankfurt’s coach Oliver Glasner had expressly warned against inviting Leverkusen to switch moments if they lost the ball – and then had to watch exactly that. Eintracht made too many mistakes in the game structure and then simply couldn’t get into the duels anymore. “The pace of Leverkusen broke our necks,” admitted keeper Kevin Trapp.
It’s certainly no shame to have problems in Leverkusen, to concede goals and then to lose in the end. The way Eintracht acted on the defensive was just too naïve and hesitant. “We conceded goals that were too easy and played right into their hands,” said captain Sebastian Rode. Above all, Evan N’Dicka, who is in his final weeks in Frankfurt, seemed overwhelmed at times. Overall, this Frankfurt defense was simply not up to the class and speed of Bayer Leverkusen.
3. Offense too harmless for a long time
Too vulnerable at the back, too harmless at the front. This fateful combination, which Eintracht has followed in almost every Bundesliga game since the turn of the year, was again clearly visible in Leverkusen. As soon as Randal Kolo Muani doesn’t catch a cream day or Mario Götze causes surprise moments with one-touch flashes of genius, Eintracht simply lacks a goal threat. Without the injured Jesper Lindström and the out-of-form Daichi Kamada, there are too few players in the Frankfurt squad with a move towards goal and thus too little support for Kolo Muani. If then there is also a total failure like Rafael Borré, it gets really complicated.
At the same time, Hesse approached the goal guarded by Lukas Hradecky in Leverkusen from time to time in a dangerous manner. However, the quality in the last third was not enough to put the Leverkusen defense under serious pressure and Djibril Sow scored more than a goal. “If you’re not solid at the back, you have to score at the front,” said the scorer, summing up the Frankfurt dilemma after the 2-1 lead. “At the moment I have the feeling that something is missing in front and behind.” You don’t want to and can’t disagree.
4. Farewell to Europe? Last hope DFB Cup
In this form and with these problems in almost all parts of the team, Eintracht, they have to admit to themselves, are currently no longer a candidate for one of the top spots. The gap to the front is increasing, the teams in the direct table environment are currently in a much better shape. “My team had a bad record in tackles and standard situations are still an issue,” summarized Glasner. “If we manage to improve these things in the final sprint, then we’ll get the necessary points. Otherwise we haven’t lost anything in Europe.” Clear words, clear statement.
The greatest and possibly last chance for Eintracht to return to a serious European competition is the DFB Cup. The Hessians still have the special gift of special performances in special games. Should Losfee Alfred Gislason give Eintracht a home game in the draw on Sunday (7 p.m. in the Sportschau), everything is definitely possible. It is already known that Eintracht can do the final. She should rely on that, that’s probably also clear, but not.
5. Götze complains and is missing
And as if all of that weren’t enough reasons for a subdued mood when looking for Easter eggs, Mario Götze worsened his coach’s mood on Saturday with a particular misconduct. The 30-year-old complained too loudly to the referee in the first half and saw his fifth yellow card. Götze, who will be missing against Borussia Mönchengladbach next Saturday (6.30 p.m.), accomplished a special feat with this action: The 2014 world champion received four of his five yellow cards this Bundesliga season for complaining. Chapeau.
Since Götze had also upset the referees in the two Champions League games against SSC Naples with persistent lamentation and also saw yellow there, he had to report to Coach Glasner weeks ago and promise improvement. “He won’t see any more yellow cards for complaining,” Glasner announced a little too naively after the game in Naples. When asked about his wrong assessment, the Austrian just rolled his eyes on Saturday, bit his tongue and said goodbye with the words: “You want to provoke me. Easter is the festival of peace, so happy Easter.” Then he slipped away.