Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt have booked their place in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals after thrashing Dutch giants Ajax 4-1 at home in their round of 16 second leg.
Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 Ajax Amsterdam (agg. 6-2)
Goals: 1-0 Bahoya 7‘ (assist: Ekitiké), 2-0 Götze 25’ (assist: Koch), 3-0 Ekitiké 67‘ (assist: Bahoya), 3-1 Taylor 78‘ (assist: Godts), 4-1 Götze 82‘
Coming into this match with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, Frankfurt gave no indication of complacency creeping in. Immediately asserting their dominance in the match, Eintracht took the lead inside just seven minutes, when Jean-Mattéo Bahoya played two one-twos in quick succession, receiving the ball after the second thanks to some superb individual brilliance from Hugo Ekitiké, which saw him spin under pressure and slide an inch-perfect pass for the young winger to stroke home at the near post. Not satisfied with just the one, Mario Götze added another, as his clever run was picked out by a long ball from Robin Koch. The veteran midfielder took one touch to bring it down, before lifting it over Matheus Magalhães in the Ajax goal. Rasmus Kristensen then almost made it three after half an hour with a venomous shot from the edge of the box, but Matheus managed to parry. A deflected Davy Klaassen shot and a series of powerful efforts from Steven Berghuis towards the end of the half forced Kauã Santos into action, but Kevin Trapp’s replacement dealt with them well.
There was an expectation that the Dutch side would come flying out of the gates, but Frankfurt managed to weather initial pressure at the start of the half, whilst limiting Ajax to efforts from range. Despite sitting deeper, Eintracht remained a threat on the counter, with Ekitiké very nearly finishing off a rapid break led by Ansgar Knauff after 50 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, Ekitiké found the reward for his outstanding first-half performance as the Bahoya- Ekitiké connection came up trumps again. The Frenchman made it look easy as he dropped his shoulder to beat two defenders before slotting it past Matheus with aplomb. Ajax substitute Kenneth Taylor responded soon after, firing an accurate right-footed shot into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box. The goal lifted the visitors, with Mika Godts and Oliver Edvardsen both going close shortly after, but Götze squashed any late hope as he capitalised on Matheus coming well off his line with a spectacular chipped effort from around 40 yards. Knauff nearly made it five towards the end, losing out in a one-on-one, but ultimately Götze’s finish proved to be Frankfurt’s final goal of the tie as they cruised towards a quarter-final showdown with Tottenham Hotspur.
Match stats
Teams
Frankfurt: Santos – Kristensen (Amenda 85‘), Tuta, Koch (c), Brown – Skhiri (Dahoud 76‘), Larsson - Knauff, Götze (Chaïbi 85‘), Bahoya (Uzun 72‘) – Ekitiké (Batshuayi 76‘)
Unused subs: Obert, Siljevic, Wahi, Nkounkou, Fenyő
Out: Chandler (hamstring), Collins (suspended), Dina Ebimbe (ineligible), Højlund (ineligible), Matanović (foot), Theate (calf), Trapp (shin)
Coach: Dino Toppmöller
Ajax: Matheus - Lucas Rosa (Gaaei 69‘), Kaplan, Rugani, Janse (Hato 78‘) - Klaassen (c), Mokio (Taylor 63‘), van den Boomen – Berghuis (Godts 63‘), Konadu (Traoré 63‘), Edvardsen
Unused subs: Garter, Setford, Brobbey, Rijkhoff, Fitz-Jim, Šutalo, Jetten
Out: Henderson (suspended), Pasveer (groin), Rasmussen (hamstring), Regeer (ankle), Van Axel Dongen (ankle), Weghorst (broken toe)
Coach: Francesco Farioli
As it happened!
The referee indicates a final 180 seconds to play.
Frankfurt break forward down the left and almost score when a cross behind the defence finds Knauff on the right-hand side of the box. He fixes to shoot but Matheus rushes out to block.
It's another cracker from the home side, who have had a lot of fun tonight. A long ball over the Ajax defence sees Matheus charge out of his box to clear. But he makes a real hash of it, and Frankfurt steal. It's fed to Götze, near the halfway line, and the forward chips a long-range effort over the back-peddling 'keeper and into an empty net. Comical.
Ajax attack down the left flank, before feeding it back to Taylor, on the edge of the box. He simply smacks a daisy cutter inside the near post from range. It's a simple goal from the visitors, who could have done with a few more of these tonight.
The Frenchman makes the game look far too easy sometimes. He receives the ball left of the Ajax area, skips inside his marker and lashes a fierce shot beyond the goalkeeper into the far side of the net. Simple.
Going for broke or resting key men for more winnable battles? Only the coach will know.
Berghuis has a dig from just outside the area but he's falling as he does and it flies high and wide of the left post.
The home side clear a corner and race up field in a two-against-three situation. Knauff, galloping down the right with options either side, takes an age to pick a pass and, when he does, it's a poor one. It reaches Ekitiké on the left-hand side of the box but it's so slow a defender recovers to block his effort
The home side want a spot kick after an Ajax defender blocked a cross with his arm. But the referee isn't having any of it. Play on.
The second half gets underway and Ajax have it all to do. The Dutchmen need at least three goals to take this to extra-time.
An extra 60 seconds still to come.
Berghuis takes the ball in the inside-right channel, cuts inside his marker and smacks a low effort towards the near post. Santos gets low to paw behind for a corner. That is taken short to Berghuis, who whips in a cross-shot that Berghuis has to punch over the bar.
The away side get in behind the Frankfurt defence and, from the right wing, cut a ball back to the edge of the box, where captain Klaassen is waiting. His first-time effort is deflected but Santos manages to catch.
Frankfurt have their own free-kick from the left flank. Götze sends in an inswinger but it's nodded away.
Berghuis thumps a long free-kick into the Frankfurt area from the left flank and Santos punches behind for a corner. The goalkeeper then catches the latter and launches a counter attack which, thankfully for the away side, leads to nothing.
Mokio lets fly from the edge of the Frankfurt box, in a central area, but it's not got enough venom behind it and Santos holds.
Some fine team play on the left flank leads to a cross through the Ajax area. It's nodded away to the right flank, but only as far as Kaplan, just inside the area. The defender smashes a low effort towards the near post but it's parried to safety by Matheus.
The home side go 4-1 up on aggregate and it's another absolute stunner. Koch, under no pressure just inside the Ajax half, lofts an inch-perfect ball over the defence and straight to an unmarked Götze, who takes a touch a few metres out from goal and rifles beyond the goalkeeper. Simple, yet stunning.
Rugani leaves the field with a head injury after a clash. He's being checked over by medical staff – 11 vs 10 for a minute here.
The away side have their first dig at goal and it's a decent effort. Berghuis collects the ball wide left of Frankfurt's area and fires from distance. It whistle's over the far top corner of Santos' goal.
The away side enjoy a spell in possession for the first time in this match.
Ekitiké and Skhiri exchange a smart one-two on the left side of the Ajax area and the return pass is slipped across the six-yard box back to the French forward. But he is just beaten to it by the defender before he can tap home.
The away side now need two goals just to drag this to extra-time but they've hardly been unable to get a touch inside the opening 12 minutes.
The home side go 3-1 up in aggregate and it's a stunning team goal. Bahoya collects the ball to the left of the Ajax area and exchanges two quick one-twos with his team-mates as he works his way into the box. The second sees Ekitiké spin under pressure and slide an inch-perfect pass between the defenders and goalkeeper for Bahoya to run on to. He can't miss, and simply slots into the bottom left corner.
Santos pumps a long ball downfield and Ekitiké wins it before finding space to shoot inside the Ajax area. Lucas Rosa gets goal-side of him just in time and clears.
The game gets underway in Frankfurt.
Trapp's injured, so Santos starts in the Frankfurt goal. Collins is suspended, though, with Koch recalled after missing the Union loss at the weekend. Toppmöller also reinstates Skhiri, Knauff, Götze, Bahoya and Ekitiké, who were also given a breather from the start on Sunday. As for Ajax, former Bremen midfielder Klasseen is among the players to come in after the first leg. Henderson is suspended.
Santos - Kristensen, Tuta, Koch (c), Brown - Skhiri, Larsson - Knauff, Götze, Bahoya - Ekitiké
Obert, Siljevic, Amenda, Chaïbi, Wahi, Dahoud, Uzun, Nkounkou, Batshuayi, Fenyő
Matheus - Lucas Rosa, Kaplan, Rugani, Janse - Klaassen (c), Mokio, van den Boomen - Berghuis, Konadu, Edvardsen
Garter, Setford, Gaaei, Hato, Taylor, Brobbey, Godts, Rijkhoff, Traoré, Fitz-Jim, Šutalo, Jetten
The 19-year-old attacker appeared as a late substitute in the first leg.
Eintracht Frankfurt responded superbly to falling behind at Ajax, with Hugo Larsson and Ellyes Skhiri finding the net on a fantastic night in the last 16 first leg in Amsterdam.
Ajax 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 1-0 Brobbey 10', 1-1 Larsson 28' (assist: Götze), 1-2 Skhiri 70' (assist: Knauff)
Frankfurt hoped to continue the strong Europa League form that had taken them to fifth out of 36 in the league stage, but the hosts had other ideas, with former RB Leipzig striker Brian Brobbey smashing the post in the second minute. The Netherlands international then headed Jordan Henderson’s cross in for an early lead. The Bundesliga outfit looked to level immediately, with Ansgar Knauff and Jean-Matteo Bahoya both going close in an entertaining opening phase. As Frankfurt continued to press, a leveller looked increasingly more likely, despite Ajax remaining a threat on the counter. It ultimately came after 28 minutes, with a Mario Götze free-kick being taken short to Larsson, whose thumping effort from outside the box took a deflection off the head of Brobbey before nestling in the bottom left corner. Smelling blood, the visitors continued to commit men forward, going close through Rasmus Kristensen and Knauff, but the hosts held firm, heading in at the break one apiece.
Kevin Trapp had a busy opening spell in the second half, as Ajax emerged from the dressing room with renewed attacking impetus, but a fantastic one-on-one save against goalscorer Brobbey managed to keep the scores level. In contrast to their hell-for-leather approach in the opening 45, the Eagles were more measured going forward. Hugo Ekitiké came closest initially with a low shot just wide of the left post, before Knauff spun his marker at the touchline, drove into the box, and teed up Skhiri, who stroked it home from close range to give his side the lead. Looking to hold what they had, Frankfurt dropped deeper, inviting pressure from the Dutch league leaders. But despite being bombarded by set pieces and crosses, the Eintracht defence held firm, ensuring the lead would be taken back with them for the second leg on the Main.