Head coach Dino Toppmöller made three changes to the side that started in the 1-1 draw at Union Berlin on Sunday. With Rasmus Kristensen out injured, Nathaniel Brown came in for his full debut. Igor Matanovic and Junior Dina Ebimbe also started in place of Omar Marmoush and Ansgar Knauff.
Eagles overcome early red card
There was an electric atmosphere inside Deutsche Bank Park for the second meeting between the two teams already this season, but things were more measured on the pitch for the opening quarter of an hour, with a few promising moves but no real chances. The picture changed on the 15-minute mark, when Arthur Theate was sent off for the second match in a row after slipping and stopping the ball with his hand as the last man.
Toppmöller reacted with a tactical switch, replacing Dina Ebimbe with Nnamdi Collins to shore up the defence. And other than Tim Kleindienst’s header over the bar from close range, Gladbach didn’t really trouble Kevin Trapp’s goal, while Eintracht looked to utilise their quick counter-attacking play. It was from one of these situations that the Eagles took the lead, with Ellyes Skhiri releasing Hugo Ekitiké just inside the opposition half and the Frenchman doing the rest, turning defender Marvin Friedrich inside out before drilling a low shot into the right corner with virtually the last kick of the half.
Super-sub Marmoush
The visitors came out of the dressing room fired up and levelled after less than two minutes. Frankfurt failed to clear the ball following a corner and it came to Ko Itakura, who beat Trapp with a precise volley from the edge of the box. Moments later, Florian Neuhaus fired just wide from a similar position, before Trapp had to tip Lukas Ullrich’s lob over the bar. However, Eintracht then nearly regained the lead from another counter-attack through Ekitiké, who from a tight angle lifted the ball over goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas but just wide of the far post.
Having survived Gladbach’s early spell of pressure, the Eagles then settled back into their game. Toppmöller brought on fresh legs in the form of Marmoush and Niels Nkounkou, and seven minutes after coming on, Eintracht’s number seven had the desired impact. Collins showed skill to get to the byline and cut the ball back to Mario Götze, who was blocked off. It came to Marmoush and despite a sea of bodies in front of him, the Egyptian managed to work himself some space and fire it into the back of the net.
It was backs to the wall for the hosts from then on, although the best chance in the closing stages fell to Skhiri, whose chip couldn’t beat Nicolas. It didn’t matter, however, as the battling Eagles advanced to the round of 16, the draw for which will take place this Sunday, 3 November.
