Eintracht Frankfurt beat Hamburger SV 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Sunday evening, repeating their 3-1 victory over HSV in the cup on Tuesday. This time the match was in Frankfurt, not Hamburg. Frankfurt pressed HSV early and dominated the opening phase, and the game followed a similar pattern to the cup meeting. Eintracht had also won that cup match by playing through HSV's young defense in the second half.
Frankfurt had early chances: Can Uzun shot just wide right after four minutes following a corner routine, and two minutes later Younes Ebnoutalib failed free in front of HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes. In the 10th minute, Uzun and Farès Chaibi combined past the defense, Warmed Omari touched the ball shortly before Ebnoutalib, and it rolled into the net as an own goal for 1-0.
HSV equalized in the 14th minute. After a fine cross from HSV winger Miro Muheim, Frankfurt defender Lilian Brassier deflected the ball with his hip, and it fell to Hamburg striker Terem Moffi, who beat Noah Atubolu to make it 1-1. The game then lost tempo and precision. Frankfurt seemed annoyed at giving away the lead so simply, while HSV looked satisfied for the time being; both teams played sideways for much of the first half.
Frankfurt began the second half as it had started the first, pressing and scoring early. In the 47th minute, midfielder Raphael Onyedika shot from a corner into the Hamburg goal for 2-1. The Nigerian joined Frankfurt from Brugge in the summer, and it was his first goal for his new club. HSV captain Sambi Lokonga tried to organize the game, but HSV remained harmless going forward. HSV's midfielders moved too little, and when HSV reached the Frankfurt goal, Atubolu saved. HSV coach Merlin Polzin said after the match: "You have to be precise with that colleague in the Frankfurt goal." HSV, 15th in the table, was still without six regular starters due to injury, and defense chief Sebastiaan Bornauw was also out this time.
Ebnoutalib sealed the win in the 69th minute. Uzun drove the ball through the HSV midfield and passed past the defense to Ebnoutalib, who pushed his opponent aside and shot with his weaker left foot into the upper left corner for 3-1. It was Ebnoutalib's sixth goal of the season. "We are a fighting team. We have this 069 mentality," Ebnoutalib said after the match.
Late in stoppage time, Frankfurt coach Hütter brought on Niko Ilicevic, who at 16 years and one day old became the youngest professional player in Eintracht Frankfurt's history. Ilicevic also shares first place among the youngest Bundesliga players with former BVB striker Youssouffa Moukoko. The crowd in the Waldstadion stood up when the substitution was announced. Ilicevic immediately demanded the ball, and with his first Bundesliga action he dribbled through midfield, beat two opponents and shot just wide right. Uzun, himself only 20, praised him: "I don't want to promise too much. But there will be more to come."
Eintracht moved from 16th place to eighth with the win. Hütter said: "We are on track. Exactly how I wanted it. It was something special to substitute World Cup winner Mario Götze alongside Ilicevic. We wrote history."
Sources: FAZ.