Thanks to a furious spurt at the start of the second half and a lot of fighting in a shorthanded game, Eintracht Frankfurt secured a 3-2 win at Gladbach, who were again defensively susceptible.
Gladbach coach Adi Hütter made four changes after the 1:4 debacle at RB Leipzig, but three of them were forced: Instead of Elvedi (stomach bug), Hofmann (arthroscopic knee surgery), Stindl (yellow suspension) and Thuram (bench), Netz, Neuhaus, Benes and Plea started.
Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner did not make any changes to his starting line-up compared to the furious 5:2 win against Bayer Leverkusen.
Neuhaus with verve, Borré out of nowhere
Frankfurt tried to start Gladbach early and thus disrupt their build-up, which actually worked well at first. However, with one momentous exception: In the 6th minute, Koné and Netz set up on the left, then Scally headed the ball to Neuhaus, who then accurately put the ball into the goal.
In the further course, little happened for a long time. VfL remained a little more dangerous and alert and had another chance after just under half an hour through Plea (26th). In the final phase of the first half, the game was a bit disjointed.
But out of nowhere Eintracht equalised after a build-up error by Zakaria. Rode (28.), who came on for Jakic, who had a thigh injury, opened the scoring. And after a cross from Lindström, Borré scored with the only clear chance of the first half for the Hessians to make it a somewhat flattering 1-1 at half-time.
Kamada shocks Gladbach – Tuta sees red card
The second half was turbulent almost from the start. After a straightforward attack via Ndicka, the all too lonely Lindström quickly scored for Frankfurt to take the lead (50th). But almost immediately Gladbach were awarded a penalty after da Costa had been too impetuous against Koné, which Bensebaini confidently converted (54.). But almost from the kick-off, the Hessians regained the lead. Kamada, who was sent in after a double pass with Borré, made it 3:2 (55).
The new deficit was a crucial point in the game of VfL, who suddenly had to allow attack after attack on Sommer’s goal. Three times it was Lindström who scored freely – and hit the far post (59.). The fourth goal did not come in this phase and so it became exciting again at the end. After Tuta had been shown the red card for an unnecessary foul on Thuram (70th), the Foals put on the pressure in the final phase.
Several times, Borussia came close to equalising in the end. Ginter forced Trapp to intervene with a header and a powerful shot from distance (81., 89.). After wild card Herrmann also failed to beat Trapp in injury time (90.+4), Gladbach’s fourth Bundesliga defeat in a row was perfect.
Gladbach will host TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday, matchday 17, at 3.30 p.m., while Frankfurt will host 1. FSV Mainz 05 in a derby at the same time.
