Frankfurt on course for the quarter-finals with a win in Seville
Frankfurt’s Tuta, left, in a tackle with Sevilla’s Cristian Tello during Europa League match
What: AP/Angel Fernandez
Frankfurt’s Eintracht defeated Betis Sevilla 2-1 (2-1) in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 – and remains unbeaten in the current competition. The win could have been even better.
Mith a courageous performance, Eintracht Frankfurt set course for the quarter-finals in the Europa League. The Hessian Bundesliga team won the first leg of the round of 16 at Betis Sevilla 2-1 (2-1) on Wednesday and thus has the best chance of progressing in the second leg next week. Filip Kostic in the 14th minute and Daichi Kamada (32nd) scored in front of 36,574 spectators, including several thousand Eintracht supporters, for coach Oliver Glasner’s team, who are still unbeaten in the current competition.
France’s world champion Nabil Fekir (30th) only managed to equalize for Sevilla. The Frankfurters awarded an even higher victory. Rafael Borré failed in the 52nd minute with a weak hand penalty.
As in the most recent 4-1 win in the Bundesliga at Hertha BSC, Glasner attacked and sent the same attacking starting lineup onto the pitch of the Estadio Benito Villamarín. “We decided to do it because the team in Berlin did very well. That’s why we said we’d let the boys off the leash again,” he said, explaining the offensive system.
This courage was rewarded. Frankfurt initially kept the fifth-placed in the Spanish La Liga away from their own goal and took an early lead thanks to a stroke of genius from Kostic. The left-wing Serbian international outsmarted Sevilla goalkeeper Claudio Bravo with a curl into the far post.
The hit left an effect on the opponent. Coach Manuel Pellegrini’s team could hardly embarrass Eintracht once. But after half an hour, the Hessian defense was not in the picture for a moment. Fekir used the freedom he was given and overcame Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who had been unemployed until then, with a well-placed low shot.
It could have been even better
However, the response from the Hessians was only 120 seconds in coming. After a mistake by the Betis defence, Jesper Lindström fed Kamada free in the middle, who finished easily. It was the Japanese’s fourth goal in the current competition.
And it could have been even better. Shortly after the restart, Italian referee Marco Guida awarded a penalty for Frankfurt after Aitor Ruibal jumped the ball inside his own penalty area. But Borré was unable to take advantage of the great opportunity. The Colombian’s weak shot was denied by Bravo. A little later, Kostic moved from a favorable position.
Eintracht now determined the game and developed further opportunities to expand the result. But Borré was twice unable to overcome the 38-year-old Bravo in the Betis goal from the game, and Kostic also failed at the keeper shortly before the end. The home side made an effort, but acted too awkwardly in attack. At the end, the guests cheered.
