Head coach Dino Toppmöller shuffled his pack following the 2-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup on Wednesday, with five changes in total. Young pair Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Nnamdi Collins both made their first Bundesliga start of the season, while Mo Dahoud, Ansgar Knauff and Omar Marmoush were recalled to the starting line-up. Arthur Theate served a suspension, while Junior Dina Ebimbe, Mario Götze, Igor Matanovic and Hugo Larsson began on the bench.
Flying start
Eintracht opened the scoring from their first chance in the ninth minute. Marmoush showed his characteristic acceleration before playing the ball into strike partner Hugo Ekitiké, who took a couple of neat touches before firing into the corner. Nine minutes later, it was 2-0 as Marmoush’s exquisite free-kick bent up over the wall and down into the corner to make it 10 league goals for the season.
The celebrations had barely stopped when the next goal arrived. Knauff pinched the ball off Bochum defender Maximilian Wittek before racing through and slotting in his first Bundesliga goal of the campaign (20’). After a brief respite, the Eagles netted their fourth goal from their fourth attempt, Collins squaring the ball to Nathaniel Brown to tap in his first Bundesliga strike on his first start (32’).
Out of nowhere, the visitors then pulled a goal back as some sloppy defending from Eintracht allowed Dani de Wit to net from close range following a corner (35’). Frankfurt could have restored their four-goal cushion immediately but Dahoud’s volley from Brown’s free-kick was pushed away by goalkeeper Patrick Drewes, before Robin Koch headed wide from the subsequent corner (39’).
Brief Bochum hopes quashed
Bochum, with two new faces, made the better start to the second period and reduced the deficit to two on 51 minutes, when Phillip Hofmann turned in Felix Passlack’s free-kick from close range. The bottom side were briefly given hope of a comeback before Eintracht regained control. Knauff had the hosts’ first opportunity of the half but his effort from a tight angle was blocked by Drewes (59’). It wasn’t long before the next goal, though. Knauff was the provider this time, teeing up Dahoud just outside the box, and the summer signing found the bottom corner with a well-placed shot (61’).
Toppmöller made his first substitution after that, bringing on Can Uzun for Bahoya, and with his first touch the Turk became the third player to score his first goal for the club just seconds after coming on. From Marmoush’s through ball – the Egyptian’s sixth assist of the campaign – Uzun slotted it into the bottom far corner (66’). The ruthless Eagles weren’t done yet, though, and Ekitiké completed his brace just three minutes later from Dahoud’s pass.
Things finally slowed down after that as Eintracht controlled possession and the crowd enjoyed a first appearance of the season for Timothy Chandler. Kevin Trapp was forced into a save from Lukas Daschner, but this was Eintracht’s day and the win takes them up to third in the Bundesliga for at least one night.
