Head coach Dino Toppmöller had an almost full squad to pick from for his team’s opening competitive match of the new year and welcomed goalkeeper Kevin Trapp as well as midfielders Hugo Larsson and Mario Götze back into the starting line-up, with Kaua Santos, Oscar Højlund and Farès Chaibi making way. Fit-again Tuta was named among the substitutes.
Marmoush makes it count
Eintracht dominated the early stages at the sold-out Millerntor-Stadion and had an early double chance through Omar Marmoush, but both of his attempts were saved by St. Pauli goalkeeper Niko Vasilj. The Eagles continued to enjoy most of the possession but their next sight of goal didn’t arrive until the 16th minute, Rasmus Kristensen heading wide from Nathaniel Brown’s corner. A few minutes later, Hugo Ekitiké did find the net but was just offside when the ball was played through to him. St. Pauli then had their first real opportunity of the game when Oladapo Afolayan found some space on the left of the box, but Morgan Guilavogui couldn’t turn in his delivery.
Another big double chance then fell Frankfurt’s way in the 28th minute. Ekitiké pounced on a loose back-pass and beat Vasilj, but his finish crashed against the bar before Marmoush volleyed over from the rebound. The Egyptian was not to be denied four minutes later, though. After the hosts failed to clear the ball, he showed composure and fine feet in the box to pick out the far corner and notch his 14th Bundesliga goal of the season – a new club record after 16 matchdays.
The goal sparked the home side into life and they came close to an equaliser before half-time. Danel Sinani had two efforts on goal, Jackson Irvine scuffed a shot wide and then Carlo Boukhalfa hit the post in stoppage time, but Eintracht – who also had another chance for Ekitiké – survived and took a narrow but overall deserved lead into the break.
Eagles stand firm
St. Pauli carried that into the start of the second half, with Manolis Saliakas testing Kevin Trapp from distance and then Irvine having a header saved by the Eintracht number one. The Eagles regained control after that and had a good chance of their own on the counter in the 64th minute, when Kristensen’s ferocious strike hit the corner of the upright.
The action then died down for a period, with both teams bringing on fresh legs from the bench and the game becoming scrappier. The hosts did ramp up the pressure again towards the end but apart from when substitute Scott Banks lifted the ball onto the crossbar, the promoted side struggled to create chances and so Frankfurt held on to their first three points of the year.
