EA long proud streak has broken. For the first time since 2006, since that 0:3 on a dreary November evening, Eintracht has lost a Bundesliga game against Bielefeld at home. This time it was 0:2, and again the result was okay, because coach Oliver Glasner’s team couldn’t find a suitable recipe to hit Arminia decisively. The Frankfurt coach’s wish to “finally get a clean sheet again” in the third game in the second half of the season came true – albeit quite differently than he had hoped.
Both goals for the uncomfortable East Westphalia fell in the first half of the game. Patrick Wimmer (5th minute) and Alessandro Schöpf (27th) made Arminia happy, who left the relegation rank and is now fourteenth. “It is important that we stand above the line in the end. You should definitely not write us off,” said Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Eintracht remains in eighth place in the table, but can still be overtaken by 1. FC Köln and Mainz 05 this Saturday.
While it was Arminia’s fifth league game in a row that wasn’t lost, Eintracht’s balance sheet from the second half of the season is sobering. The Glasner-Elf only won one of nine possible points – last Sunday in a 1-1 draw in Augsburg. “We didn’t defend it consistently again and we have problems getting the ball into the net up front,” said midfielder Djibril Sow about Eintracht’s performance.
The people of Frankfurt had not imagined it that way. The game was only five minutes old when it was already 0:1. It was Arminia’s first attack ever. Wimmer didn’t give Kevin Trapp, who was back in goal after the forced Corona break had healed, no chance to defend himself. Filip Kostic, who was also back in the team after his compulsory break, kicked a corner shortly afterwards, which Evan N’dicka, who had moved up, didn’t hit properly with his head (7′). With a little more fortune, Eintracht could have equalized in this scene. But neither Daichi Kamada with a harmless shot (12th) nor Jesper Lindström with much more power – but bad luck in the end (16th) – did not manage to overcome Arminia keeper Stefan Ortega afterwards.
Rabona as the highlight of the evening
On the contrary: it was again the uncomfortable Bielefeld team who drew attention to themselves and scored the goal of the evening. With a trick called Rabona, also known colloquially as “Eagle Eye”, preparer Wimmer outwitted the Frankfurt defense around the weak Martin Hinteregger. Wimmer crossed his legs and Schöpf, who ran into the trajectory of the ball at just the right moment, carried him into the Eintracht goal with his chest. 0:2 – a double low blow for Glasner’s team, who still couldn’t find the right recipe to crack Arminia’s robust defence. There was also misfortune involved, because when Rafael Borré, who was well set free by Tuta, took a direct shot, he found his match in the magnificently parrying Ortega (35th).
Borré and N’dicka: Both missed the best opportunities for Eintracht
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Image: Huebner
Hinteregger, who may also have been slightly handicapped with pubic bone problems that the Austrian had complained about during the week, watched his teammates’ activities in the second half of the game from outside. Makoto Hasebe, who has been playing well in recent weeks, came in for him. In the 61st minute, the hard-working captain Sebastian Rode made way for Goncalo Paciencia, who Eintracht hoped would give them more momentum on the offensive. It would also have been helpful on this cold January evening if Kostic had shown more of his qualities. Alone: Against Arminia, the Serb, whom his coach said had “extraordinary qualities” in the run-up to the game, was unable to contribute anything decisive to his undoubtedly great ability.
For the intended final offensive in the last quarter of an hour, Glasner made a third change of personnel. Another striker came in for Timothy Chandler in Ragnar Ache. But he didn’t manage to break through the Bielefeld bulwark either. Borré didn’t do that either in the third minute of the four-minute stoppage time, when he was denied by the famous Ortega. It ended up being a disappointing evening of football. In the still dreary Corona times, 1000 spectators were admitted to the Frankfurt Arena. But even they couldn’t create a pleasant atmosphere. And certainly not the weakening Eintracht professionals.
“It’s a very disappointing loss. We tried everything and had many situations for the goal. We then missed the chances, our self-confidence went down a bit and that of Bielefeld up. In the best-case scenario, we would have played 0-0 today, so we lost a point,” summarized the Frankfurt coach.
