Head coach Dino Toppmöller rotated his squad, making four changes to the starting line-up. Captain Sebastian Rode, who missed Saturday’s trip to Bochum through illness, returned to the side along with Hrvoje Smolcic, Paxten Aaronson and Omar Marmoush. Tuta, Aurélio Buta, Hugo Larsson and Jessic Ngankam dropped to the bench.
Pegged back after strong start
The Eagles dominated the early stages and took the lead through their first opportunity when Junior Dina Ebimbe was brought down in the box by Jack MacKenzie in the ninth minute. Marmoush took responsibility for the penalty and made no mistake, slotting it into the bottom right corner. Eintracht had 85 percent of possession in the opening quarter of an hour but Aberdeen worked their way back into the game and equalised 11 minutes later when Nicky Devlin cut the ball back for Dante Polvara to finish off a fine counter-attack.
Eintracht continued to have the majority of the possession but without fashioning any clear opportunities, while the Scottish visitors were happy to soak up the pressure and play on the counter as the contest became scrappier. Frankfurt did go close shortly before half-time when Aaronson’s first-time volley was saved at close range by Kelle Roos, although the flag went up for offside.
Summer signings combine
Toppmöller, who had already been forced into a change in the 39th minute when Rode limped off to be replaced by Larsson, made a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Ngankam and Fares Chaibi for Aaronson and Mario Götze. However, there was little change to the pattern of play, with Eintracht continuing to probe for gaps in Aberdeen’s sturdy five-man backline. Niels Nkounkou’s shot drew a save from Roos in the 57th minute, but again the flag went up afterwards.
Like the first goal, the lead was regained from a set piece, this time a corner. Chaibi’s outswinging delivery from the right found Robin Koch, who guided the ball into the corner with a powerful glancing header for his first goal in a Frankfurt shirt. The Eagles’ confidence was up again and they searched for a third goal to kill the game off, Larsson and fellow substitute Ansgar Knauff both stinging the gloves of Roos.
The Dons pushed forward in the closing stages but didn’t trouble Kevin Trapp, who along with his teammates and most of the 55,000 crowd celebrated the first three points for the Eagles in Group G of the UEFA Conference League. They’ll be back on home soil on Sunday when SC Freiburg visit on Bundesliga Matchday 5.
SGE line-up
Trapp – Koch, Smolcic, Pacho – Dina Ebimbe, Rode (Larsson 39’), Skhiri, Nkounkou (Knauff 68’) – Aaronson (Ngankam 46’), Götze (Chaibi 46’) – Marmoush (Buta 82’)
Goals
1-0 Marmoush (11’ pen)
1-1 Polvara (22’)
2-1 Koch (61’)