Head coach Dino Toppmöller made three changes to his starting line-up from last Saturday’s 2-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg, two of them enforced. Kaua Santos made his full debut in goal in place of the injured Kevin Trapp, while Fares Chaibi took the place of Mario Götze, who missed out due to illness. Ansgar Knauff replaced Niels Nkounkou in the other change. The visitors were also without their first-choice goalkeeper as Moritz Nicolas deputised for the injured Jonas Omlin.
Larsson’s goal the difference
Three of the previous five encounters between the Eagles and the Foals had ended in draws and it was another close contest from the off at Deutsche Bank Park. Gladbach edged the possession in the first half but Eintracht posed more of a threat going forward and won a number of free-kicks and corners, although weren’t able to take advantage of them. The first real opportunity didn’t arrive until 25 minutes, when Omar Marmoush’s shot-turned-cross took Hugo Ekitiké by surprise at the far post and he couldn’t direct it into the net from close range.
However, the Eagles were in front six minutes later. Ekitiké’s pinpoint cross was headed down by Knauff for Hugo Larsson, who peeled away from his marker and swept the ball home. It was a second goal in three games for the Swede, who has already equalled his goals tally from last season. Borussia did come into the game more at the end of the first half, but Nico Elvedi’s flicked header from a free-kick was the closest they came to an equaliser.
Marmoush seals it
The visitors went on the attack straight away at the start of the second half, with the lively Nathan N’Goumou warming the gloves of Santos. The pressure from the Foals increased as the half wore on and Santos was called into action again on 56 minutes, saving N’Goumou’s effort after Robin Hack’s shot had been blocked by fellow Brazilian Tuta. Eintracht did manage to give themselves some respite from the pressure, with Ekitiké being smothered by Nicolas from a tight angle. Gladbach then had their best opportunity of the game, though, when Rocco Reitz’s shot crashed against the post.
Several substitutions on both sides then took some of the tempo out of the game, and it was two Frankfurt substitutes who created the decisive goal. Igor Matanovic and Jean Mattéo Bahoya combined before Marmoush took over, faking a shot to make himself some space before firing into the roof of the net – his fourth goal of the campaign already. That wrapped up a third successive victory for the Eagles, who also registered a first clean sheet in the league since March and moved up to third in the Bundesliga table.
