Eintracht Frankfurt’s Adi Hütter defends small squad size and ponders tactical change after Bundesliga defeat | OneFootball

Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Adi Hütter was left searching for answers after watching his side transform an excellent opening half into a chastening 1-4 Bundesliga home defeat against FC Augsburg on Sunday evening. Frankfurt controlled virtually everything before the break at the Deutsche Bank Park. Jonathan Burkardt headed home Younes Ebnoutalib’s cross after six minutes, while Finn Dahmen required several excellent interventions to prevent the hosts from establishing the commanding advantage their performance deserved.

The picture changed completely after halftime.

Arijon Ibrahimović equalized less than a minute after the restart before Noah Atubolu spilled another effort from the Augsburg debutant into Robin Fellhauer’s path. Within two minutes, Frankfurt had gone from deservedly leading to trailing. They never recovered. Alexis Claude-Maurice and Fabian Rieder later added outstanding goals as Augsburg completed the sensational turnaround.

“I have a very similar assessment [to that of Manuel Baum’s],” Hütter began in his opening press-conference statement. “The first half brought the type of football that I had envisioned. And yet, a football game lasts 90 minutes and not just 45. The fact that Augsburg scored two goals [so quickly] is rare, but we simply weren’t able to find our way back into the game. Augsburg defended well in a deep block. We couldn’t re-establish our game.”

Eintracht squander second straight Bundesliga lead

The defeat leaves Frankfurt with just one point from their opening two Bundesliga fixtures. That statistic alone does not fully capture Hütter’s concern. On Matchday One, Eintracht led Union Berlin 3-1 before allowing the hosts to fight back for a 3-3 draw. Ebnoutalib supplied all three Frankfurt goals in a remarkable opening-day hat-trick, but the individual achievement could not disguise the two points surrendered.

Against Augsburg, the sequence was different. Frankfurt did not lose a large lead late. They instead responded terribly when momentum suddenly shifted against them.

“Of course it was bitter to concede these two goals,” Hütter said. “I still expected a reaction from the team and didn’t get it. We simply didn’t have the right solutions to play against Augsburg. We had too few shots on goal, we weren’t clean enough [in possession] and what bothered me the most is that we were far too vulnerable to counterattacks.

“Our defense was poor and our organization was off what it had been in the first half,” Hütter continued. “I saw one good cross from the left [from Augsburg in the first half]. Apart from that, I didn’t see a single goalscoring opportunity [from them]. One simply cannot concede seven goals in two games. We lost control in Berlin [last week]. We lost control today.”

Hütter’s preferred system already faces stability question

The contrast bears particular relevance given the tactical work undertaken since Hütter returned to Frankfurt this summer. Get German Football News examined the Austrian’s new 4-2-2-2 extensively in its 2026/27 Eintracht Frankfurt tactical preview.

Throughout preseason, Hütter emphasized aggressive pressing, vertical football and narrow attacking midfielders, with the full-backs asked to provide much of the width. When the initial pressure worked, Frankfurt could suffocate opponents and attack before defensive structures had time to reset.

The risks were equally evident. Frankfurt’s 0-7 preseason defeat at Brentford provided the most extreme example of how much space could appear whenever the first press failed. That performance eventually contributed to the club reopening several personnel questions, including the goalkeeper position. Frankfurt subsequently pursued Noah Atubolu as a new first-choice solution.

The Augsburg defeat has already prompted Hütter to consider whether the underlying structure itself requires adjustment.

“The team I inherited was set up in a 4-3-3 formation,” Hütter said. “I play different football. I play a different basic formation. Hence, that was the first task awaiting those of us in charge. We then brought some new players.

“I also wanted a smaller squad,” Hütter continued. “Why? Because we don’t need 30 players when we’re just contesting the Bundesliga and Pokal. I’m not interested in training with so many players.”

Hütter nevertheless conceded that further tactical pragmatism may now be necessary.

“I’ll need to think about potentially changing the basic formation in order to make us more stable,” Hütter added.

Hütter remains committed to Baum and Kosugi

Any potential structural adjustment will also involve two young full-backs entrusted with significant responsibility. Elias Baum and Keita Kosugi both started against Augsburg.

Hütter made clear during preseason that Baum would remain in Frankfurt and receive an opportunity to establish himself after the academy product struggled for meaningful Bundesliga minutes last season.

Kosugi represents another developmental investment. Frankfurt signed the Japanese youth international with the expectation that his technical quality, pace and work rate could eventually translate to Bundesliga level.

Hütter has no intention of abandoning either project because of early mistakes.

“We’re on the path with [full-backs] Elias Baum and Keita Kosugi,” he said. “Everyone used to complain why Elias Baum didn’t get a chance. Now he’s playing. I’m nevertheless positive about sticking with young players who make mistakes but will continue to develop.”

Götze and Onyedika remain “the beating heart”

The midfield has undergone similarly significant reconstruction. Frankfurt spent heavily to bring in Noël Aséko and Raphael Onyedika, with the pair intended to provide the athleticism and defensive structure missing from last season’s central unit.

Aséko arrived from Bayern Munich in a €13m deal, but knee problems cost the 20-year-old his entire preseason and left him well behind his new teammates in learning Hütter’s system.

Hütter does not yet consider him ready to start. Instead, Mario Götze again partnered Onyedika against Augsburg.

“I’m not seeing in training that Noël Aséko is ready to start yet,” the Frankfurt coach said. “I think Mario [Götze] has been doing well with Raphael Onyedika in the center. Those two are the beating heart of the midfield.”

Brassier starts as Frankfurt continue defensive reconstruction

Sunday also marked Lilian Brassier’s Frankfurt debut. The French defender arrived only days earlier as part of the final stage of Eintracht’s defensive overhaul. Frankfurt paid an initial €8.5m to sign Brassier from Stade Rennes after moving on from several established defensive options during the summer.

Hütter paired the new signing with captain Robin Koch.

“I think Robin Koch and Lilian Brassier played confidently in the first half,” Hütter said. “In the second half, the harmonization sometimes wasn’t there and we’ll work on that. Goals three and four [from Alexis Claude-Maurice and Fabian Rieder] were obviously world class. But the first two goals were gifts handed out by our side.”

Hütter refuses to abandon the process

There is considerable pressure surrounding the project. Frankfurt endured a turbulent 2025/26 campaign and entered the new season following another major turnover in both personnel and tactical approach. Hütter acknowledged that supporters have every right to be concerned after another poor result.

“I fully understand that there are concerns,” Hütter noted. “I envisioned my debut going differently. I nevertheless wouldn’t bury my head in the sand. In the first half, I got the sense that we can play against anyone. On the other hand, I also saw how quickly we can become unsettled after conceding a goal or two.”

“We need to improve physically,” Hütter continued. “Manuel has the advantage of already being with his team for half a year. We’re in the middle of a process that’s currently very unpleasant, but I’m a coach who tries to take away as many positive things as possible despite my great disappointment.”

“What truly pleased me, and I would like to emphasize this despite the difficult nature of the moment, is that the first half conformed to my vision of football,” Hütter concluded. “That’s how I envision future matches, though 45 minutes doesn’t count in the Bundesliga.”

Frankfurt resilience faces immediate Mainz test

Hütter’s final concern is the most difficult to solve on a tactics board. Frankfurt did not merely lose their organization after going behind. They lost their conviction.

“I don’t know if I know the team well enough yet,” Hütter admitted when asked about parallels with last season. “I know that we didn’t show resilience today. Here, in Frankfurt, in front of our hometown fans, we need to try and play forward and force the issue. Had we scored a 2-2 equalizer, it would have been a different game.”

Frankfurt will not have long to work on it.

Next Saturday brings an away trip to Mainz 05, a side that just demolished Hamburger SV 5-0 at the Volksparkstadion and has conceded only one clear goalscoring opportunity across its opening two league fixtures.

Urs Fischer’s Mainz are already displaying the type of structural stability Frankfurt are still trying to build. Eintracht, meanwhile, head into Matchday 3 with one point, seven goals conceded and two consecutive games in which control slipped through their fingers.

Hütter has already seen the football he wants.

The next task is making sure it survives the moment something goes wrong.

GGFN | Peter Weis