Six-goal thriller in Bundesliga’s return from winter break | OneFootball

Eintracht Frankfurt’s start to the game matched the electric atmosphere at the Deutsche Bank Park. However, before they fashioned their first chance of the night, the visitors took the lead with a well-worked move.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s superb diagonal long ball destabilized Frankfurt’s defense as Maximilian Beier scored with a one-touch finish from Julian Ryerson’s pinpoint delivery. The German international scored both Dortmund’s last 2025 goal as well as their first for the new year.

That didn’t change the momentum of the game, though. Boosted by the news of four new signings in the first week of the January window, including the Frankfurt-born Younes Ebnoutalib from Elversberg, the mood around the club has changed compared to their inconsistent Hinrunde.

The striker was given his starting debut, but Gregor Kobel’s first saves came from attempts by Can Uzun and Ansgar Knauff. The former was then presented with a perfect opportunity to score the equalizer when Serhou Guirassy committed a striker’s foul trying to defend a throw-in.

Uzun, who was one of the two Frankfurt players who scored in the penalty shootout defeat to Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal, calmly slotted home for his sixth Bundesliga goal of the season.

Niko Kovac, who previously won the cup with Frankfurt, saw his side take control in the closing stage of the half. However, the hosts regained their dominance after the restart. Against the odds, Dortmund nearly scored once again when Daniel Svensson blasted it wide from a promising position.

Ebnoutalib came to life in the end-to-end start to the second-half as Kobel had to make another save from former teammate Knauff. At the other end, Arthur Theate made a last-ditch block from Marcel Sabitzer’s effort.

Instead of Ebnoutalib, Dino Toppmöller took off the goal-scorer Uzun for the debut of Arnaud Kalimuendo.  A couple of minutes later, Kovac made his first change as well with Guirassy leaving his place for Fábio Silva after yet another listless performance.

Felix Nmecha restored Dortmund’s lead with the next big moment of the game. Hugo Larsson’s slight deflection made it difficult for the returnee Kaua Santos to save the shot from outside the box.

Toppmöller’s decision brought Frankfurt back into the game, though. The two new signings combined to put the hosts level as Ebnoutalib scored his 13th goal of the season from Kalimuendo’s perfect through pass.

2. Bundesliga’s leading top-scorer showed what Frankfurt lacked since Jonathan Burkardt’s injury with a brilliant second-half performance. The frantic nature of the half continued as the crossbar denied Schlotterbeck a 90th-minute winner.

The woodwork was also involved at the other end when Mahmoud Dahoud’s sensational shot ended up in the net in injury-time. That was not the end of the magnificent half of football, though. Late substitute Carney Chukwuemeka scored the equalizer for Dortmund with a scrappy goal that received the all-clear from the VAR room.

Dortmund will play their first home game of 2026 on Tuesday against Werder Bremen, whose game against TSG Hoffenheim was postponed due to adverse weather. Frankfurt will be away at Stuttgart in the opening fixture of matchday 17 earlier on the same day.