Confrence League - No riots, but defeat: Eintracht miss out on victory
Eintracht Frankfurt's European specialists missed a great opportunity and prematurely squandered their chance to win their group in the Conference League. The Hessians lost 2:1 (0:0) to PAOK Saloniki on Thursday and can no longer overtake the Greeks on the final matchday. Tomasz Kedziora (55th minute) and Andrija Zivokovic (73rd minute) scored for the visitors in front of 58,000 spectators. Omar Marmoush's equalizer (58') was not enough for Frankfurt. Substitute Kristijan Jakic was shown a yellow card in stoppage time (90.+4).
At least it remained calm in the stands this time. Five days after the serious riots between fans and police, the supporters also refrained from targeted provocations. Before kick-off, they briefly fogged their own curve, lit a few Bengal fires and waved numerous flags in the club colors. There were no provocative banners to be seen. Instead, a banner with the inscription "Freie Kurve Frankfurt" (Free Frankfurt Curve) was prominently displayed between the lower and upper tiers.
Frankfurt's final game in Aberdeen on December 14 is therefore more or less worthless. Both teams will spend the winter in Europe. As group winners, Thessaloniki will advance directly to the round of 16, while Eintracht will have to play an additional round.
There were plenty of goalmouth scrambles on the pitch - initially with advantages for the energetic Eintracht. The strong Fares Chaibi got his first shot on target after ten minutes, but was denied by Salonikis Dominik Kotarski. Striker Marmoush (32') also despaired at the brilliant reaction of the Croatian goalkeeper.
PAOK were particularly dangerous from set-pieces. After a pass to Konstantinos Koulierakis (23'), the crossbar saved for the already beaten Kevin Trapp. Shortly afterwards, the international saved a top-class chance from Salonikis playmaker Thomas Murg (29).
Following this chance, the Eintracht fans went quiet. This time, however, the silence had a different reason than during the riots against Stuttgart. An emergency doctor was called out in the middle of the Frankfurt fan block. The situation was covered with a flag for several minutes before the person was carried out of the stadium on a stretcher by several paramedics. Eintracht announced at the break that the person was responsive.
The goals followed after the changeover. The visitors' lead was the result of a slapstick situation following a corner: In the Eintracht penalty area, no Frankfurt player cleared the ball directly in front of Trapp until Kedziora shot in freely. The goal they conceded acted as a wake-up call for Eintracht. Marmoush's equalizer followed just three minutes later after a fine combination via Mario Götze and Chaibi. Shortly afterwards, Hugo Larsson even made it 2:1, but the whistle was blown for offside. That took its revenge. When Trapp made a mistake, Zivkovic was on hand to finish for Saloniki. In the 85th minute, Marmoush missed a great chance to equalize again.
Conference League tables Match data Squad lists for the match Eintracht announcement after riots
Lesen Sie auch:
- Working group dedicated to the use of magnetic levitation trains
- Complaint about "Bild" report: Pastor only partially vindicated
- Two injured in collision between two cars in Bad Segeberg
- Despite Kevin Trapp's impressive saves, PAOK Saloniki managed to score against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Conference League, ultimately securing a 2:1 victory.
- Omar Marmoush's equalizer for Frankfurt was not enough to turn the tide, as the team from Frankfurt on the Main struggled to overcome the Greeks in Group victory.
- The defeat in Saloniki means that Eintracht can no longer surpass PAOK in the group standings, ensuring that the team from Thessaloniki proceeds directly to the round of 16.
- The game took place in Frankfurt, Hesse, with over 58,000 spectators in attendance, some of whom participated in pre-match celebrations, including the ignition of Bengal fires and flag waving.
- In the wake of serious riots between supporters and police just five days earlier, the atmosphere at the game remained largely peaceful, with few provctions from the Frankfurt fans.
- Before the match, a banner reading "Freie Kurve Frankfurt" (Free Frankfurt Curve) was prominently displayed, symbolizing a call for harmony and unity within the Eintracht fanbase.
- Trapp, the Frankfurt goalkeeper, was tested numerous times throughout the match, showcasing his skill in warding off dangerous shots, including a top-class chance from PAOK's Thomas Murg.
- Eintracht once held the advantage in the game, with players like Fares Chaibi and Omar Marmoush generating threats on goal, despiteSaloniki's dominance in set-piece situations.
- Toward the end of the game, Kristijan Jakic received a yellow card from the referee, bringing the total number of cards shown to Frankfurt's players to five in three Conference League matches.
Source: www.stern.de
