Oliver Glasner made two changes from the team that started in Saturday’s 3-0 win at home to Hertha BSC. Sebastian Rode was preferred to Djibril Sow in midfield, while Rafael Borré came into the attack in place of the injured Jesper Lindström.
Eventful first half
Eintracht got off to the perfect start at Deutsche Bank Park, taking the lead with their first attack in the sixth minute. Aurélio Buta was released down the right and reached the byline before delivering a measured cross to Randal Kolo Muani, who leaped high and arched a header into the far top corner. It should have been 2-0 five minutes later from a similar set-up, Buta this time picking out Borré in the middle, but he fired over the bar. Following a lengthy stoppage due to a clash of heads between Tuta and Jannik Müller, the Eagles had another good opportunity to extend their lead on 23 minutes. Again they got in behind the Lilies’ defence, this time on the left through Philipp Max. From his cross, Mario Götze was denied at point-blank range by goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen.
The 2018 cup winners were made to regret those missed chances when Darmstadt equalised out of nothing. Eintracht lost possession on the halfway line and were suddenly left in a three-on-one situation, which the visitors took full advantage of to equalise through Mathias Honsak. Just two minutes later, Darmstadt completed the turnaround, taking advantage of some more sloppy defending and feeding Honsak to slot past Kevin Trapp.
It took the Eagles a few minutes to come to terms with the double blow and get back into the game, but crucially they did equalise just before half-time, when Borré swept the ball home following neat interplay involving Rode and Götze.
Kolo Muani seals it
The first chance of the second half fell to Darmstadt’s Fabian Schnellhardt, who fired narrowly wide from distance. Eintracht then began to build up steam again, with Rode twice going close with a deflected shot and a diving header. The increasing pressure paid off just after the hour mark, when Kolo Muani headed the ball down for Daichi Kamada to brilliantly volley into the bottom corner.
The Eagles could not relax, though, as their Hesse neighbours continued to threaten going forward. Philipp Tietz hit the post from close range, moments before Trapp produced a fine save from Tobias Kempe’s header; the rebound was bundled in but disallowed for offside. Buta had a good chance to calm the nerves in the 72nd minute after a wonderful pass from Götze, but the Portuguese player couldn’t get enough power on the finish. An enthralling contest was finally settled in the 90th minute, Götze playing in Kolo Muani with another world-class pass: the Frenchman kept his composure to make it back-to-back braces and six goals in four games.
Summary: Eagles come through tough test
Eintracht were pushed all the way by their opponents, who showed exactly why they are top of Bundesliga 2 at the moment. However, in the end the Eagles’ extra class showed, with two top-quality second-half goals sealing their place in the last eight.
SGE line-up
Trapp – Tuta, Hasebe, Ndicka (Smolcic 46’) – Buta (Knauff 82’), Kamada, Rode (Sow 70’), Max (Lenz 90’+2) – Borré (Jakic 90’+2), Götze – Kolo Muani
Goals
1-0 Kolo Muani (6‘)
1-1 Honsak (29‘)
1-2 Honsak (31‘)
2-2 Borré (44’)
3-2 Kamada (62’)
4-2 Kolo Muani (90’)