- Frankfurt with a regular rehearsal in Valencia
Eintracht Frankfurt suffered a narrow defeat against Spanish giants FC Valencia but still gained confidence ahead of the new season. In their final warm-up game on Saturday evening, the Bundesliga side lost 3:2 (1:2) after conceding a late goal. Omar Marmoush (8') scored from the penalty spot and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe (72') found the net for the visitors. Rafa Mir (4') and Hugo Duro (16') had put Valencia ahead. Alberto Mari (89') secured the win for the hosts. Prior to this, coach Dino Toppmöller had given all his players a run-out, providing valuable game time for his substitutes.
The game started lively with Rafa Mir capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Nathaniel Brown to put Valencia ahead. However, Eintracht responded swiftly, with Marmoush converting a penalty after Igor Matanovic was fouled in the box. Valencia extended their lead from a corner. Frankfurt were fortunate that Pepelu missed a penalty (33') after Tuta fouled Duro. The visitors improved and deservedly equalized against last season's La Liga ninth-placed side. Frankfurt will begin their DFB-Pokal campaign on August 19 (20:45 CET) against Eintracht Braunschweig.
Despite the loss in the German Bundesliga pre-season match, Eintracht Frankfurt showcased resilience and gained momentum for the upcoming season. In the DFB-Pokal, Frankfurt will face Eintracht Braunschweig on August 19, aiming to turn their fortunes around.
