In the final Bundesliga game of the year, Borussia let a 1-0 lead slip in injury time to lose 2-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt. The Foals will thus spend the winter break sitting twelfth in the table.
In front of around 58,000 spectators at Deutsche Bank Park, the first half was tight, with the Foals defending alertly and preventing the hosts from creating any clear-cut chances. In the 27th minute, we took the lead with our first real opportunity, as Max Wöber found the net following a corner. While Frankfurt admittedly had more position after this, the Foals’ goal was rarely in any danger until the final phases. After a second yellow card for Wöber in the 82nd minute, Eintracht ramped up the pressure and equalised through Aurelio Buta in the second minute of injury time. Five minutes later, Robin Koch snatched even the consolation of a point from Gladbach’s grasp. After this last minute defeat, Borussia will go into the winter break twelfth in the table with 17 points.
TEAM NEWS
Head coach Gerardo Seoane named the same side that drew 2-2 against Werder Bremen at the weekend. Joe Scally, Nico Elvedi and Max Wöber made up the back three in front of Moritz Nicolas, with Franck Honorat (right) and Luca Netz (left) functioning as wing-backs. Julian Weigl, Rocco Reitz and Manu Koné started in midfield, while Robin Hack and Alassane Plea featured in attack.
Borussia were still without Jordan (thigh strain), Tony Jantschke (thigh injury), Ko Itakura (back in training after an ankle operation), Jonas Omlin (recovering from a shoulder operation) and Lukas Ullrich (shoulder operation).
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
27’: Borussia strike with their first chance of the game. Wöber rises highest in the six-yard box to powerfully head Honorat’s corner into the net for 1-0.
34’: Wöber nearly gets himself a second. The Austrian wins the ball and drives forward. After being played in by Plea, Wöber cannot beat Trapp from a tight angle.
SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS
55’: First big chance after the break for Frankfurt. Chaibi wins the ball and lets fly from the left side of the penalty area. Nicolas palms away his powerful effort.
61’: Honorat drives forward brilliantly on the left and squares it to Koné, whose first-time effort goes just wide of goal to the left.
71’: Chaibi aims for the far corner with a free kick from around 18 yards out. Nicolas goes to ground and holds on to the ball.
73’: Netz brilliantly cuts the ball back to Koné on the left side. The Frenchman maybe takes his shot a little bit too early, and it flies over the bar.
88’: Wöber goes in late for a challenge on Chaibi and catches the SGE forward. Referee Badstübner shows the Austrian a second yellow card and sends him off.
90+2’: With an extra man, Frankfurt equalise in injury time. The unmarked Buta heads Nkounkou’s cross into the net for 1-1.
90+7’: Frankfurt complete the turnaround with the last kick of the game. Nkounkou plays the ball in from the left once again. Koch is there and pokes the ball over the line from close range to make it 2-1.
STATISTICS
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp – Tuta (Buta 83’), Koch, Pacho – Knauff (Hauge 83’), Skhiri, Dina Ebimbe (Larsson 60’), Max (Nkounkou 78’), Götze (Ngankam 77’), Chaibi – Marmoush
Borussia: Nicolas – Scally, Elvedi, Wöber – Honorat (Chiarodia 89’), Reitz (Kramer 77’), Weigl, Koné, Netz – Hack (. Ngoumou 63’/Friedrich 89’), Plea (Čvančara 77’) // Unused substitutes: Olschowsky, Walde, Herrmann, Neuhaus
Goals: 0-1 Wöber (27’), 1-1 Buta (90+2’), 2-1 Koch (90+7’)
Yellow cards: Pacho – Elvedi, Koné, Wöber, Scally, Nicolas
Red cards: Wöber (88’)
Referee: Florian Badstübner
Attendance: 58,000
