Gamba win despite Tuta effort

Eagles name strong side

Oliver Glasner made six changes to the Eintracht team that started the defeat by Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday.  Evan Ndicka, Tuta, Christopher Lenz, Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe and Ansgar Knauff all featured, while 16-year-old Anas Alaoui was rewarded for his goal in midweek with a starting berth.

Deadlock broken by unlikely source

As was the case on Wednesday, “Im Herzen von Europa” rang around the Panasonic Stadium in Suita before the second friendly of Eintracht’s Japan tour got under way. The Eagles made a bright start but the hosts grew into the game as the first half progressed, forcing goalkeeper Diant Ramaj into several fine saves. The deadlock was eventually broken by Tuta, who found the bottom corner with a tremendous effort from the edge of the box with seven minutes of the half remaining. Faride Alidou nearly doubled Eintracht’s lead on the stroke of half-time, but the 21-year-old was denied by the woodwork.

Gamba fight back

Chances were few and far between after the interval as both teams took the opportunity to make changes, with Makoto Hasebe entering the fray for the final 15 minutes. However, the home side were handed a golden opportunity to restore parity when Ramaj was adjudged to have fouled Hiroto Yamami inside the penalty area. The Eagles stopper guessed the right way but was unable to keep out the forward’s effort from 12 yards.

The hosts completed the turnaround seven minutes later, Yuki Yamamoto beating Ramaj with a smart finish into the top corner. Eintracht threw bodies forward in search of a late equaliser, but it was not to be for Glasner’s side.

Speaking after the match, the Eintracht head coach was keen to focus on the positives: "It was a good footballing conclusion to our trip to Japan,” he said. “We played well for 60 to 70 minutes and controlled the game, but failed to score a second or third goal. After bringing on several young players we unfortunately ended up losing the game. Gamba did very well - it was a great game and a great atmosphere in a very nice stadium. I'm very happy to be taking home these experiences from our week in Japan."