Visiting striker Yussuf Poulsen put Leipzig ahead in the 35th minute, prodding in from a corner. Filip Kostic had hit the crossbar before then, and Oliver Glasner’s charges pushed hard in the second half in search of an equaliser but it looked like the guests would hold on for the win. Tuta had other ideas, however, arriving in the box to head home a free-kick and earn the Eagles a well-deserved share of the spoils.
Three changes
Glasner made three changes to the side that lost 2-0 in Bochum last week. Makoto Hasebe dropped to the bench, while Goncalo Pacienica and Kristijan Jakic were both absent with injuries picked up in that fixture. Evan Ndicka, Erik Durm and Ajdin Hrustic all came into the starting line-up as a result.
Poulsen opens the scoring
It was a full-blooded opening at Deutsche Bank Park, with neither side willing to shirk any tackles. While it made for an entertaining spectacle, goalscoring chances were few and far between until Kostic struck the frame of the goal with a dipping long-range effort from the left. Hrustic also went close, but his fierce shot was turned behind for a corner by Peter Gulacsi.
The visitors edged ahead shortly after the hour mark though, when Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner from the left evaded everyone in the box except Poulsen, who poked in from close range at the back post. Szoboszlai himself then had two opportunities to add to the scoreline, first blazing wide from six yards out before Kevin Trapp made a good stop on the stroke of half-time.
Tuta to the rescue!
The Eagles had more of the ball in the second period, and they poured forward into Leipzig’s half, urged on by a relentless home crowd. They struggled to seriously test Gulacsi again though, even if the introductions of Jens Petter Hauge, Aymen Barkok and Ragnar Ache brought fresh impetus into the team’s forward forays.
Still, Eintracht rode their luck in the closing stages when Emil Forsberg fluffed his lines from close range and with the goal at his mercy, the Swedish forward blazing well over the crossbar. It proved to be a costly miss, as Trapp and the entire home defence packed the Leipzig box for a free-kick deep into stoppage time. Tuta emerged as the hero, heading in Kostic’s delivery to spark scenes of wild celebrations as the Eagles took a deserved share of the points.
Summary: Never give up
It was the difficult assignment anticipated in the build-up to the game, but Eintracht more than held their own against Leipzig. Glasner’s charges were unfortunate to go behind in the manner in which they did, but they showed tremendous strength of character to fight back and take a point.
SGE line-up
Trapp - Toure (Hauge 59'), Tuta, Hinteregger (c), Ndicka - Sow, Hrustic (Barkok 59') - Durm (Lammers 71'), Kamada, Kostic - Borre (Ache 82')
Goals
0-1 Poulsen (35’)
1-1 Tuta (90' +4’)
