Eintracht Frankfurt have missed the big chance to move up to one point in the Champions League places in the Bundesliga. The sixth-placed team drew 2-2 (2-2) at VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday evening and has now won only one of the last five competitive games. The point losses of RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg left Eintracht unused this weekend.
Ironically, Omar Marmoush, courted by Frankfurt, gave VfL the lead in the 10th minute. Wolfsburg were the better team in front of 27,853 spectators, but restored this advantage within just four minutes due to blatant lack of concentration in defence.
At 1:1 by Randal Kolo Muani (22.) two VfL defenders were bad. Evan Ndicka's dream goal (26th) was preceded by a missed pass by Micky van de Ven and a failed header by Paulo Otavio. However, Wolfsburg quickly shook off these two goals and earned the equaliser through Yannick Gerhardt (43rd) before the break.
Interruption after two minutes
For both coaches, this fast-paced game was a reunion with their former club. Wolfsburg's Niko Kovac won the DFB Cup with Eintracht in 2018. Frankfurt's Oliver Glasner led VfL to the Champions League in 2021. Both were so happy about the unusual constellation that they were still talking over a TV camera on the sidelines when the game had already started.
There would have been plenty of opportunities to continue this conversation. After two minutes, the game had to be briefly interrupted for the first time because a goalpost was apparently not firmly anchored enough. And after the Wolfsburg 1:0, the video referee checked for a long time whether the Egyptian Marmoush was offside or not.
The two blunders before the 1:1 and 1:2 did not fit the otherwise very attentive and strong duel performance of VfL. The Wolfsburg were at least for half time a little more grippy and determined than Eintracht.
Marmoush (37th) and Jakub Kaminski (38th) had two good chances to equalise before the 2-2 draw. In injury time of the first half, only the courageous intervention of the Brazilian Tuta prevented the next big chance for Marmoush, who was released after this season.
The second half no longer had the intensity and chances of the first half. Above all, however, Frankfurt controlled the action and also had the best player of the evening on the pitch: striker Kolo Muani.
The 24-year-old Frenchman combines speed, technique and a physical force that makes him difficult for any opponent to control. In the 72nd minute, he prepared a goal from Jesper Lindström with a beautiful solo, but it did not count, because Kolo Muani was offside in his remarkable action. Eintracht did not create more chances.