Victory in league opener | OneFootball

Eintracht Frankfurt beat SV Werder Bremen 4-1 in their opening Bundesliga match of the season thanks to goals from Uzun, Bahoya (two) and Knauff.

Head coach Dino Toppmöller made two changes from the 5-0 win at FV Engers 07 in the DFB Cup first round last Saturday. New goalkeeper Michael Zetterer went straight into the starting line-up, replacing Jens Grahl between the posts. Arthur Theate, who was suspended for the cup match, came in for Niels Nkounkou at left-back.

Two goals in three minutes

The Eagles started on the front foot in front of a full house of 59,500 at the enlarged Deutsche Bank Park, putting some early pressure on Bremen’s debutant goalkeeper Mio Backhaus. A corner from the left in the third minute was flicked on by Rasmus Kristensen towards Jonathan Burkardt, whose effort hit the post, with the rebound bouncing off Theate and wide. Shortly after that, Bahoya fired just over in the aftermath of another corner. At the other end, Zetterer was tested for the first time from Marco Grüll’s free kick.

After a fairly even opening period, Eintracht opened the scoring on 22 minutes, when Can Uzun picked up the ball just outside the D, took a touch forward and hammered a shot into the roof of the net. The Turk then turned provider for the second goal just three minutes later. Bremen lost possession from a throw-in their own half and were punished, with Uzun dinking the ball towards Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, who headed into the corner. There was not too much action after that until half-time as Frankfurt comfortably preserved their two-goal advantage.

Fast start after break

Anyone still finding their way back to their seat at Deutsche Bank Park after the half-time break may have missed the next two goals. Within seconds of the restart, Uzun again teed up Bahoya for his second goal. Werder replied immediately though, Justin Njinmah firing past Zetterer at his near post after a quick transition from the visitors.

Things settled down after that furious start to the second half as the Eagles resisted Bremen’s increased efforts to get back into the game. Toppmöller brought on some fresh legs in the 67th minute in the form of Ansgar Knauff and Elye Wahi, and the change had an almost instant impact as the former restored the three-goal lead. Eintracht hit on the counter after Werder again gave away possession, with Farès Chaïbi playing a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Knauff, who squeezed it into the far corner from a tight angle.

Knauff had two more chances to extend the lead but it didn’t matter. The three points were in the bag for Eintracht, who scored four goals in their opening Bundesliga game of the season for the first time in 32 years.