Eintracht Frankfurt last lost a competitive game in October 2022, after which the team started a tremendous run through all competitions – including the Champions League. But 1. FC Köln is simply too effective for the Hessians at the end of the 20th match day of the Bundesliga.
Friendly party guests instead of putting the brakes on fun: Eintracht Frankfurt gave 1. FC Köln a boisterous start to the biggest festival week of the year and suffered a bitter setback in the fight for a place in the Champions League. At the end of the 20th Bundesliga matchday, the Hessians lost 0:3 (0:0) in Cologne after a weak second half and are only sixth.
Eintracht has recently lost ground, especially abroad: The Hessians have been waiting for an away win since the beginning of November and, after three previous draws, went away completely empty handed this time. Among other things, because of a brace from Ellyes Skhiri (71st / 86th minute), which Eintracht would like to sign. The Tunisian has now scored five goals in five games this year as a defensive midfielder.
The Cologne team, who were still unbeaten in 2023, could not have picked a better time for their first win after three draws and two 0-0 games in a row. This Monday, FC is celebrating its 75th birthday with a big carnival celebration, one day later the annual FC carnival meeting takes place. The people of Cologne therefore lined up in a special birthday shirt, which sported the old Billy Goat logo from the glorious 70s and 80s.
Central defender Timo Hübers (49th) and Skhiri gave Cologne nine points ahead of relegation place 16. Both started, as is in their DNA, offensively. But because both also defended passionately, there were hardly any goal scenes at first. The Cologne team were lucky after 16 minutes that there was no penalty for Eintracht. Eric Martel touched the ball with an active movement with his upper arm, but according to the pictures, referee Daniel Siebert did not give a penalty. His clearly visible argument: Martel touched the ball with his shoulder.
But Eintracht not only had significantly more possession of the ball, but also the more mature game system. In the 24th minute, Randal Kolo Muani seemed on his way to making it 0-1, but Benno Schmitz tipped the ball off his foot at the last moment. Cologne bravely held back, but the fifth half in a row ended without a goal for FC or the opponent.
FC then broke through this goallessness three minutes after the break when Hübers extended the ball into the far corner after a short corner and cross from Florian Kainz. It was his first Bundesliga goal in 13 months. Of course, the guests now only intensified their offensive efforts, but for long stretches they remained surprisingly lackluster in contrast to many galas this season. Instead, Eintracht ran into a counterattack that Skhiri completed to decide. His second goal crowned the successful performance in Cologne.
Frankfurt’s coach Oliver Glasner announced right before the game that his team would have a Super Bowl party that night. However, there was little reason for this.
