Frankfurt’s joker Goncalo Paciencia was one of Eintracht’s few bright spots in the 2:3 in Sinsheim. Just like a week and a half earlier in the 2-2 draw against Antwerp, he scored a magnificent goal that would have been well-served in any instructional film for strikers.
In the summer, those in charge would have put no obstacles in Paciencia’s way if he had expressed a desire to move. After the unfortunate loan to Schalke 04 last season, no one really had the former Portuguese international on their radar. But in the meantime, everyone at Eintracht can count themselves lucky that the 27-year-old cheerful soul still wears the eagle on his chest.
This is also due to the fact that Sam Lammers, who is on loan from Atalanta Bergamo, now plays almost no role at all. He recently came on as a wild card against Antwerp, but he has not played a minute in the last four Bundesliga games. In the last home match against Union Berlin (2:1) and now at TSG Hoffenheim, the Dutchman did not even make the squad. In view of his sometimes indisputable performances – just remember the games against Hertha BSC (1:2) and in Piraeus (2:1) – this can come as no surprise to anyone.
It is all the more important that Paciencia is currently brimming with self-confidence. The attacker was already on the rise in the middle of the first half of the season, but then suffered a muscular thigh injury in the away game against VfL Bochum (0:2) and was out for a few weeks.
In the meantime, he is fit again – and scoring goals. First he scored a fantastic last-minute header against Antwerp to make it 2-2; in Sinsheim in the 72nd minute he took a cross from Filip Kostic perfectly with his chest and fired the ball into the net from the turn. It was his fourth goal of the season in ten appearances across all competitions, with the Portuguese only featuring twice in the starting eleven.
In football you always get what you deserve.
“Goncalo has been doing very well in the last few weeks. He worked hard in training, and he’s being rewarded for that. In football, you always get what you deserve,” says sports director Markus Krösche appreciatively and emphasises: “He has an incredible quality in the box, you saw that again – and that helps us of course.
Although Rafael Borré, who also scored against Hoffenheim, should remain set in the attack. However, Paciencia could soon move back into the first eleven if coach Oliver Glasner decides to go for a true double front (3-5-2) as he did in the successful home match against Olympiakos Piraeus (3:1).
