For his first competitive match in charge, head coach Dino Toppmöller handed full debuts to three of his summer signings, with Robin Koch and Willian Pacho forming the back three along with captain Makoto Hasebe, and Ellyes Skhiri occupying the holding midfield role.
Kolo Muani makes breakthrough
Eintracht dominated possession from the beginning but struggled to find gaps in the two banks of the Leipzig defence. The first real chance fell to the hosts when a mix-up between Pacho and Koch allowed Djamal Ziane to run through, but Kevin Trapp came to the rescue with a strong reflex save. It wasn’t until the 21st minute that the Eagles produced their first genuine attempt on goal, when Skhiri’s shot from just outside the area sailed a whisker over the bar.
The men in black continued to struggle in the final third and Lokomotive fashioned a second chance out of nothing on 35 minutes, Tobias Dombrowa heading just wide of the far post. However, Eintracht broke the deadlock just two minutes after that when, following a corner, Randal Kolo Muani’s powerful shot from a tight angle was spilled into his own net by Isa Dogan. It was the bit of luck that Toppmöller’s side needed and ensured they took a narrow lead into the break.
Goals and delay
The hosts had more possession in the early stages of the second half but Eintracht grabbed the all-important goal in the 58th minute, when Jesper Lindström’s cut-back from the byline reached Mario Götze, who finished neatly into the bottom corner. Toppmöller responded to that by making his first two substitutions, bringing off both goalscorers for Jens Petter Hauge and Omar Marmoush. The Eagles didn’t lose any of their firepower, though, as they made it 3-0 shortly after. Both substitutes were involved with Hauge playing in Buta, who squared it for Marmoush to net his debut goal.
There was then a delay of nearly 15 minutes due to incidents in the stands, but Eintracht carried on where they had left off by adding four more goals before the final whistle. Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe and substitute Jessic Ngankam both scored braces, making it a very comfortable victory in the end for Frankfurt, who celebrated their biggest win in the competition since a 10-2 triumph against Zehlendorf in 1976.
SGE line-up
Trapp – Koch, Hasebe, Pacho (Tuta 69’) – Buta (Ngankam 75’), Skhiri, Dina Ebimbe, Max – Lindström (Larsson 75’), Götze (Hauge 65’) – Kolo Muani (Marmoush 65’)
Goals
0-1 Kolo Muani (37’)
0-2 Götze (58’)
0-3 Marmoush (66’)
0-4 Dina Ebimbe (86’)
0-5 Ngankam (89’)
0-6 Ngankam (90’+10)
0-7 Dina Ebimbe (90’+14)
