Victory against Hoffenheim: Eintracht at times like intoxicated

Agoodbye! Eintracht has successfully said goodbye to its home crowd. At the end of the 14th match day, Oliver Glasner’s team beat TSG Hoffenheim 4:2 and moved up to fourth place in the table. Now the only thing left is the Rhein-Main duel in Mainz on Sunday, before the World Cup begins, which is immediately followed by the winter break.

Only on January 21 does the ball roll again against FC Schalke in the Frankfurt Arena, where the renovation work is to be progressed by then. With the win against the eleven from Kraichgau, Eintracht improved their tally to 26 points – eight more than last year after the same number of games.

Eintracht provided their fans with a spectacle that caused huge enthusiasm in the stands. Bundesliga record player Karl-Heinz Körbel said during the half-time break: “At the moment only Bayern are playing better than us.” Driven and staged by an outstanding Mario Götze, the Frankfurt offensive produced dozens of chances to score, Hoffenheim was often only able to defend itself with fouls ward off the storm and stress of unity.

“The team has really settled in over the last few weeks, the lads get along well. That makes us so dangerous at the moment,” said Eintracht manager Markus Krösche after the final whistle on Sky: “We played very convincing football, but we still have potential for development. We are on a good way.”

Eintracht says goodbye to Hinteregger

Earlier in the evening, the interplay between the events on the edge of the lawn and the reactions in the stands briefly created an atmosphere that was reminiscent of the many festive moments earlier this year: Eintracht officially said goodbye to Martin Hinteregger – and that he was 30 years old today old early retiree is still a guy who makes the hearts of many in the Frankfurt audience beat faster became clear during the brief ceremony.

The Austrian decided in the summer to end his professional career early, also because the high mental demands of the business caused him problems and he found it difficult to shoulder the burden. Hinteregger played his last league game on April 23 against TSG Hoffenheim, after which he tore a muscle fiber in the second leg of the semi-final against West Ham, was appointed by Glasner to the coaching staff as a special ambassador and thus contributed to Europe -League triumph in Seville.

For this, too, the “Hinti” received a small silver European Cup and a photo jersey collage on Tuesday, when he was cheered on by the supporters. “You were a role model and shaped an era,” sporting director Markus Krösche said, “thank you for everything you did for us. You’re always welcome here.” The Carinthian Hinteregger said in the dialect of his homeland Vergelt’s Gott and was honored at the microphone in front of the fans in the north-west curve: As a child in Sirnitz, he dreamed of what he “was allowed to experience in this stadium”. when he started football: “My home will always be here.”

Lindstrom initiates the victory

Shortly thereafter things became much less emotional. Instead, Eintracht in particular immediately demonstrated a resounding rationality in their sixth English week in a row, which reflected the will to bring the first half of the season to an optimal end. It was thanks to Jesper Lindström that Frankfurt was rewarded for their efforts early on.

First the Dane took the ball from his opponent Eduardo Quaresma on the left wing. Using a hack trick, she then got through Daichi Kamada and Mario Götze to Djibril Sow, who scored to make it 1-0 (6th minute). 120 seconds later, Lindström initiated the next direct hit. After a throw-in, he shot brilliantly, so that goalkeeper Oliver Baumann was able to raise his hands, but the rebound landed on Randal Kolo Muani, who made it 2-0 (8th).

After that, the 3-0 was a piece of football art: Lindström and Götze bridged the midfield with brisk steps and poked the ball past their guards with their heels in a circus manner, while Kolo Muani in the penalty area had the sight and the skills that the opposite Recognize Junior Ebimbe who was lurking at the corner and stage it, who then increased the lead with a low shot in the 29th minute. Hoffenheim came back through Christoph Baumgartner (flatteringly) because he reacted faster than Evan Ndicka and Tuta after a high cross (3:1, 37th).

At the beginning of the second period, TSG punished Eintracht for another negligence: Ozan Kabak benefited from Lindström’s inattentiveness, who did not pursue a ball blocked by Kristijan Jakic and thus helped make it 3-2 (46′). Once again it was Kolo Muani who got Eintracht back on course: The Frenchman had to deal with three defenders, but still served Lindström par excellence, who put the ball in to make it 4-2 (56 ‘). The Frankfurters didn’t let this lead be taken away – and the loud majority of the 49,000 spectators felt well entertained by the performance in the Waldstadion. She then reacted as so often in 2022: with appropriate applause.