Last-minute drama: Frankfurt and Dortmund share the spoils in 3-3 thriller | OneFootball

What a drama to kick off the football year 2026. Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund ended in a wild goal spectacle with a 3:3 (1:1) draw. After goals from Beier in the tenth minute and Nmecha (68th) against goals from Uzun (22nd, penalty) and Ebnoutalib (71st), it was 2:2 until the 90th minute. In injury time, Dahoud initially secured the 3:2 for the Hessians (90.+2). But Chukwuemeka managed to equalize (90.+6).

Compared to the 2:0 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the old year, Anton, Sabitzer, and Beier started against Frankfurt for Can, Adeyemi (bench), and Groß (transfer to Brighton). Kobel was fit in time and youngster Kaba was included in the professional squad for the first time.

Both teams didn't spend much time on tactics and instead aimed directly for the opponent's half. However, BVB played more precisely. In the tenth minute, Schlotterbeck sent one of his typical diagonal balls to Ryerson, whose cross Beier slotted in from ten meters into the bottom right corner for the guests' 1:0 lead.

Then Kobel had his moment to shine. First, he saved a low shot from Uzun (17th), then he was on point with a shot from Knauff from a tight angle (18th). Borussia retreated, while Eintracht became more active.

Already in the 22nd minute, the lead for the Black and Yellows was gone. In their own penalty area, Guirassy fouled Koch, leaving referee Schlager no choice but to point to the spot. Uzun sent Kobel the wrong way and scored to make it 1:1.

After the equalizer, BVB became more offensive again. Goal chances were initially scarce. It wasn't until the 40th minute that a goal was in danger. A free-kick cross from the agile Ryerson found Schlotterbeck in the Frankfurt penalty area. Kauã Santos dived and held the header firmly.

Substitutes make an impact

The early phase of the second half belonged to the Hessians. Ebnoutalib with a header (47th) and a cross from Brown into the five-meter area (49th) were the first offensive actions after the break. On the other side, Svensson had a shot, but it missed the target by a wide margin (52nd).

Then it was Eintracht's turn again. Kobel was quick to react to a shot from Knauff aimed at the near post (54th). The match now swung back and forth. The next big chance in the game: Ryerson laid the ball back to Sabitzer. Theate blocked the shot, which would have been dangerous for the Frankfurt goal (58th).

The Frankfurt team eased off after their pressure phase, and the guests came back stronger. BVB once again demonstrated their efficiency. Nmecha took a shot from 22 meters. Larsson deflected the shot, making it unstoppable for Kauã Santos. The ball found its way over the left inside post and crossed the line (68th).

The Westphalians could only enjoy their renewed lead for three minutes. Kalimuendo sent Ebnoutalib on his way with a through pass. From about 15 meters, he beat Kobel to make it 2:2.

Almost an own goal by SGE in the 78th minute. Kauã Santos punched a cross from Svensson directly at Theate. Brown cleared the ball rolling towards the goal just before the line, averting the danger (78th). Now Borussia was back in control.

Schlotterbeck almost managed the lucky punch. A corner from Svensson was headed by the central defender directly onto the crossbar (90th). The luck that the Black and Yellows lacked was found by Dahoud, ironically a long-time Dortmund player. A ball fumbled by Can was curled by the now-Frankfurt player onto the right inside post. From there, the ball bounced over the line for Eintracht's 3:2 (90.+2).

But that wasn't the final act. Sabitzer's cross found Chukwuemeka in the penalty area, who slotted the ball over the line for the 3:3 final score (90.+6).

Conclusion: BVB was well in the game from the start and took the lead after a nice combination. After ten minutes, Dortmund retreated and allowed Frankfurt to come back. The result was the equalizer. Subsequently, the match was balanced with only a few more goal chances. After the break, the match swung back and forth. In injury time, events escalated. The 3:3 was ultimately a fair result.

BVB: Kobel – Süle (76th Can), Anton, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson, Nmecha, Sabitzer, Svensson – Brandt (87th Chukwuemeka), Beier (75th Adeyemi) – Guirassy (66th Fábio Silva)

SGE: Kauã Santos – Kristensen, Koch, Theate (83rd Collins) – Knauff (77th Götze), Larsson, O. Højlund (77th Dahoud), Brown – Uzun (63rd Kalimuendo), Doan – Ebnoutalib

Goals: 0:1 Beier (10th), 1:1 Uzun (22nd, penalty), 1:2 Nmecha (68th), 2:2 Ebnoutalib (71st), 3:2 Dahoud (90.+2), 3:3 Chukwuemeka (90.+6)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.