There were three changes from the team that started in the 2-0 defeat to Arminia Bielefeld on Matchday 20. Daichi Kamada and Filip Kostic missed out through injury and illness respectively, with their places being taken by Kristijan Jakic and Christopher Lenz, making his comeback. Makoto Hasebe was preferred to Martin Hinteregger at the back in the other switch.
Tale of two set pieces
The early stages of the game were characterised by Eintracht corners, which repetedly caused problems for Stuttgart. Jakic headed into the side netting from one of these (5’), but it was from the following set piece that the Eagles took the lead. Jesper Lindström’s bouncing delivery got a touch from Timothy Chandler before Evan Ndicka defltly guided it in for his third goal of the season (7’). The Frenchman got on the end of another corner nine minutes later, but this time failed to hit the target.
After an uneasy start, the hosts settled down and slowly grew into the match, although it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that Kevin Trapp was required to make his first notable save, parrying Philipp Förster’s effort. Eintracht then had a good opportunity of their own, when Lindström’s fierce first-time shot from a tight angle produced a good save from Stuttgart goalkeeper Florian Müller (38’). They were left ruing that chance moments later, when Waldemar Anton bundled the ball home with his knee from Chris Führich’s free-kick to level the score (42’).
Impact sub
Oliver Glasner made a substitution at the break, bringing on Hrustic for Sebastian Rode, and it worked like a dream. Less than two minutes into the second half, Lenz chipped another corner to the edge of the penalty area, where Hrustic showed brilliant technical skill to volley it into the ground, through the bodies in the box and past Müller.
As with the first half, Frankfurt appeared in control after taking the lead before Stuttgart came back into it. They were gifted a good opportunity on 62 minutes when Hasebe gave the ball away and Sasa Kalajdzic was sent through, but thankfully dragged the shot wide. However, the big Austrian could hardly miss when Borna Sosa’s pinpoint cross from the left found him in the middle six metres from goal, where he headed past the helpless Trapp (70’).
Eintracht fought back again, though, and regained the lead on 77 minutes. Substitute Jens Petter Hauge received the ball on the left and squared it to Hrustic, whose shot – from a similar position to his first goal – took a crucial deflection off Konstantinos Mavropanos and sailed in. This time the Eagles held on, despite Hasebe and Tuta both going off injured, to claim their first win of 2022.
Summary: Hard-fought win
It was hard work for Frankfurt at the Mercedes-Benz Arena – perhaps harder than it needed to be – but the visitors were overall the better team and worthy winners, collecting an important three points which keep them in touch of the European places.
SGE line-up
Trapp – Tuta (Hinteregger 83’), Hasebe (Ilsanker 87’), Ndicka – Chandler, Rode (Hrustic 46’), Jakic, Sow (Hauge 73’), Lenz – Lindström (Knauff 87’), Borré
Goals
0-1 Ndicka (7’)
1-1 Anton (42’)
1-2 Hrustic (47’)
2-2 Kalajdzic (70’)
2-3 Hrustic (77’)
