17.09.2010
News-Archive

Rosenthal nicks it for Freiburg

Jan Rosenthal's dramatic first goal for the club ensured SC Freiburg took home all three points following a tightly-matched affair at the Commerzbank Arena against Eintracht Frankfurt.

In a tie which could have gone either way, the German midfielder grabbed the winner after being teed up for the easiest of finishes in the final minute of the match. The victory means Freiburg move into the top three overnight, while Frankfurt suffer their third defeat in four games

Frankfurt on top

After starting well, Robin Dutt's charges received the game's first opportunity in the sixth minute. Marco Russ' failed clearance landed at the feet of Papiss Cisse and the Senegalese striker picked his spot, but Oka Nikolov made a superb one-handed save in the Frankfurt goal to deny him. The hosts then began to dominate and were at their most threatening from set-pieces. Georgios Tzavellas' excellent delivery from the left was almost converted by the head of his compatriot Theofanis Gekas, but SCF keeper Oliver Baumann was on hand to deny him.

The Freiburg shot-stopper made another top save from Benjamin Köhler on the half hour mark, clawing the German midfielder's header off the line following another Tzavellas free-kick. At the other end Heiko Butscher blazed wide after being sent clear on the left, but still it was the home side who were in the ascendancy heading towards the break, Patrick Ochs seeing his rasping effort palmed away by Baumann with the ball headed for the top corner.

Freiburg hit their stride

In the second half Frankfurt continued to set the tone. Tzavellas somehow managed to get the ball through from the left to the unmarked Gekas, but the Greeks striker failed to realise how much time he had and snatched his shot wide when really he should have done better. Ciao's driven free-kick was then almost deflected into his own net by Cedrick Makiadi, before Gekas sent another chance blazing over the crossbar.

However, as Frankfurt's rhythm began to stutter heading into the final quarter, Freiburg hit their stride at just the right time. Anton Putsila was the first to worry the home faithful when his placed finish from the edge of the box was superbly turned around the post by Nikolov, before the Belarussian turned provider, Butscher again flashing his strike wide of the far post.

Papiss Cisse looked to have missed the game's final opportunity when he narrowly missed out on Yacine Abdessadki's cross from the left, but the travelling fans were soon celebrating as substitute Maximilian Nicu raced through on goal, unselfishly laying across for the supporting Rosenthal who had the simple task of rolling the ball into the empty net.

Frankfurt: Nikolov - Jung, Franz (90+1' Chris), Russ, Tzavellas - Schwegler - Ochs, Meier (60' Caio), Halil Altintop, Köhler (81' Korkmaz) - Gekas

Freiburg: Baumann - Mujdza, Barth, Butscher, Bastians - Schuster - Abdessadki (90+2' Toprak), Rosenthal, Makiadi (70' Nicu) - Cisse, Putsila

Goals: 0-1 Rosenthal (89')

Attendance at the Commerzbank Arena: 40,000