Larsson secures the agreement, followed by a fortunate turn of events involving aluminum.
Eintracht Frankfurt enters the Europa League duel against Riga as the dominant force. However, the Latvians provide a tough challenge for the Bundesliga team. In the second half, there's an initial fortunate penalty call, leading to a late winning goal, which is quickly followed by a nerve-wracking moment.
Despite being the underdogs, Rigas FS put up a valiant fight during their Europa League encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite the home team's unmatched reputation, they barely managed to secure a 1-0 (0-0) win in front of a home crowd of 56,600 spectators. With seven points under their belt, Eintracht Frankfurt remains unbeaten in their preferred competition. Coach Dino Toppmöller's team continues to strengthen their chances of advancing to the knockout phase.
Youngster Can Uzun made his debut in the starting lineup for Eintracht Frankfurt, following Toppmöller's announcement. Other than Uzun, the coach made a few unexpected changes, substituting Arthur Theate, Mario Götze, Hugo Larsson, and top striker Hugo Ekitike. Igor Matanovic and Omar Marmoush took their places in the attack.
Just as expected, Eintracht Frankfurt approached the game with their aggressive full-backs. Marmoush (15.) had the first significant chance, but was unable to outscore the keeper Fabrice Ondoa after an impressive pass from Mahmoud Dahoud. Throughout the first half, Eintracht Frankfurt found it challenging to create opportunities against Riga's relentless five-man defense. Matanovic's attempt at a long-range strike narrowly missed the target (33.).
In the second half, Eintracht Frankfurt ramped up the pressure, with Marmoush (52.) coming closest to scoring in front of Ondoa. Trapp saved the day for Eintracht Frankfurt from Savalnieks' shot (58.). Despite Ekitike's entrance, the Bundesliga team continued to push forward, but Riga consistently disrupted their strikes, particularly in the final third.
However, Marmoush set up Larsson, who converted the opportunity into a late winning goal. Frankfurt had an unexpected close call when Adam Markhiev struck the crossbar (80.).
Despite Riga's resilient defense, Eintracht Frankfurt managed to secure a victory in their Europa League match, thanks to a late winning goal from Hugo Larsson. The triple-header in the Europa League group stage sees Eintracht Frankfurt remaining undefeated, with seven points, strengthening their chances of advancing to the knockout phase.
