Borré saves Eintracht’s last-minute victory

FÜRTH – It was really not nice, but it was dramatic and especially important in the relegation battle: Frankfurt Eintracht won the away game at Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth 2-1 (0-0) and found their way to the bottom of the table. The Frankfurters are developing more and more into the team of the last few minutes. It was like the 1-0 win in Antwerp, the 1-1 draw against Leipzig and the 2-1 win during the week in Piraeus, another last-minute goal in stoppage time that secured points. Rafael Borré scored the winning goal in the 94th minute. “It was a victory of the fight and the mentality,” said captain Sebastian Rode, who had taken the 1-0 lead in the 75th minute. Cedric Itten managed to equalize in the second minute of stoppage time for Fürth, who were superior in the first half. In the end, tears flowed from the two gatekeepers. With Kevin Trapp after the great tension full of joy, with Marius Funk the grief.

The Frankfurt coach had tried to use the full breadth of the squad. Compared to the European Cup game on Thursday in Piraeus, he brought four new players. For Makoto Hasebe, Aymen Barkok, who wasn’t even in the squad, Timothy Chandler and Sam Lammers, Martin Hinteregger, Erik Durm, Jesper Lindström and Filip Kostic were in the starting eleven. Hinteregger returned from rest, Durm had overcome his gastrointestinal infection and Kostic was fit again after his Achilles tendon problems.

The Fürth were more present in the duel

From the beginning, the game developed exactly as Eintracht had certainly not wanted. The Fürth were more present in the duel and soon took command. Eintracht defended quite well and was mostly sovereign in their own penalty area. But up front there had been no significant action. The level of the entire game was very manageable, basically it was just a series of duels. There was also a heavy kick. Kostic against Leweling, Seguin against Hinteregger – referee Siebert had to turn a blind eye to get by without cards. He only took the yellow when Sarpei pulled his legs away in midfield in the 37th minute.

There were only a few chances and if so, then for the hosts. Hrgota missed in the 16th minute after a cross with the head gossamer. And in the 44th minute it was again the former Frankfurt who just missed. The ball went to the side netting and not into the net. The other former Eintracht professional in the jersey with the shamrock, Jetro Willems, had done the preparatory work. As time went on, Eintracht played the way it has been playing in the Bundesliga for weeks, flawed, not brave, without a line forward. She didn’t create a single scoring opportunity. The only difference to the lost games against Hertha or in Bochum: They didn’t fall behind early this time.

Lindström forced goalkeeper Funk to make a first save

After the change, the whole game got better and more varied. At first, the hosts had a double chance. First Willems was blocked, then Leweling pulled over it. In the 52nd minute, Eintracht began to participate in the game. Lindström forced goalkeeper Funk to make a first save. A minute later, Sow narrowly missed and Kostic narrowly missed with an oblique shot.

Eintracht was finally in the game. It was still not good, but not that bad anymore. The Fürth people slacked off more and more, they seemed to run out of strength a little. A good quarter of an hour before the end, Eintracht coach Glasner brought two fresh forces with Ragnar Ache and Sebastian Rode for Lindström and Sow. Ache had an opportunity only a minute later, but shot over it hastily. The experienced Rode then used his chance better, much better. Kamada had stolen the ball from the Fürthers and stuck it through with the tip of his foot. Rode ran completely alone on goal and safely pushed in, the 0: 1 in the 75th minute.

As a result, Eintracht had approaches for the second goal, but did not play the opportunities consistently. And then they needed their goalkeeper again to save the win. Trapp saved against Tillmann with a fantastic parade two minutes before the end. But the equalizer fell in stoppage time. After a corner kick, Stefan Ilsanker, who had recently been substituted on, unluckily extended the ball, Ittrich pushed it with his chest from a few centimeters over the line. But Eintracht still had an answer in the fourth minute of extra time. After a cross from Kostic, Rafael Borré pushed the ball into the goal at the far corner. “A huge compliment to my team, how they fought after the messed up first half,” said coach Oliver Glasner, “we then recovered from the blow in the neck in stoppage time.”