22nd matchday
Three leads are not enough: Frankfurt only 3:3 in Freiburg
Freiburg’s Lukas Kübler (r) in a header duel with Frankfurt’s double goalscorer Ansgar Knauff. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
An injury shock and a lead given away three times – Eintracht Frankfurt has to be content with a point at SC Freiburg. The Hessians are also worried about Sasa Kalajdzic.
Three times ahead and still not three points: In a spectacular final phase, Joker Michael Gregoritsch snatched victory from Eintracht Frankfurt and saved hosts SC Freiburg with a 3:3 (2:2). The Austrian even scored the winning goal in stoppage time Freiburg were on their feet, but Tuta shot the ball out of the goal just before the line.
In the fight to qualify for the European Cup again, both teams are not really getting anywhere in the Bundesliga. The game was overshadowed by what was probably a serious knee injury to Frankfurt attacker Sasa Kalajdzic, who had to be substituted after eleven minutes and later returned to the bench on crutches. After the game he was taken to hospital for examinations.
His representative Ansgar Knauff scored twice (35th/72nd) in front of 34,700 spectators. In addition, Omar Marmoush (27th) gave Eintracht a 1-0 lead. Freiburg equalized three times through Ritsu Doan (29th) and Vincenzo Grifo with a penalty kick (45th + 5th) and Gregoritsch (89th) and prevented their fourth league defeat in a row.
Knauff is annoyed about losing points
“In the end, we have to go home with a win after leading three times,” admitted double goalscorer Knauff disappointedly at DAZN. It was “very annoying,” he said. “It’s a shame because we played a good away game,” said Eintracht goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. “In the end it was wild,” said Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller.
“In the end it was a great game,” said Freiburg substitute Gregoritsch. “It’s fortunate, of course, that we still played a draw. In the end I can even make it 4-3. I’m annoyed at the moment even more than that.” While Eintracht maintained sixth place and is still on course for the European Cup, Freiburg are currently only eighth.
Game interrupted several times
The game had to be interrupted several times due to fan protests against the possible entry of an investor into the German Football League. After the break, remote-controlled aircraft even sailed over the field.
Neither team initially found any solutions. Only a positional error by Yannik Keitel caused danger – and how: Since Keitel also slipped away, Marmoush had an easy time on the way to the lead.
The hosts shook each other briefly and then applied more pressure. National goalkeeper Kevin Trapp was able to defuse a shot from Roland Sallai. However, he defended right at Doan’s feet – 1:1. It was the first goal from the game for Freiburg this calendar year, after they had often lacked penetration recently.
Gregoritsch saves Freiburg in a wild final phase
With the exception of the goals, most of the action took place in midfield. Then Knauff scored after a successfully completed counterattack. This time Freiburg’s retreat behavior was not right. However, the guests did not go into the dressing room with a lead because Makoto Hasebe unfortunately stepped on the foot of his opponent Lucas Höler in the penalty area. Grifo converted the penalty.
Shortly after the restart there was the next break because planes flew over the lawn from the SC block. The renewed interruption didn’t do the game any good. Nevertheless, Eintracht had the better opportunities and were rewarded by Knauff. In a wild final phase, Gregoritsch saved a point for the hosts.