Gladbach stay top after six-goal thriller against Frankfurt

Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 1-0 Thuram (28'), 2-0  Wendt (45+2'), 2-1 Da Costa (59'), 3-1 Elvedi (75'), 3-2 Hinteregger (79'), 4-2 Zakaria (85')

The teams exchanged body blows in the first 20 minutes, with Daichi Kamada and Goncalo Paciencia threatening for Frankfurt and Denis Zakaria and Marcus Thuram going close at the opposite end for the hosts. Gladbach gradually began to exert greater pressure though and were rewarded just before the half-hour mark thanks to a brilliant counter-attack. Breel Embolo scurried down the right wing and his pinpoint cross evaded desperate lunges from David Abraham, Makoto Hasebe and Frederik Rönnow to leave Thuram with a simple tap-in at the back post. The Foals looked comfortable from that point on and doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Frankfurt struggled to deal with another cross from the right and eventually the ball fell kindly to Oscar Wendt, who drilled in a low shot from 12 yards.

The hosts remained on top after the interval and peppered  Rönnow’s goal with shots, Lars Stindl curling just wide and Laszlo Benes drawing an acrobatic save from the Danish goalkeeper with a teasing free-kick. It came as something of a surprise, then, when Frankfurt pulled a goal back, Kamada teeing up Danny Da Costa to smash in from close range. That put the wind in Frankfurt’s sails and they were subsequently the better team, with Kamada proving to be a real handful. The Japanese playmaker had two good chances in quick succession, but first snatched a shot off target before heading over the bar moments later. They proved to be costly misses as Nico Elvedi restored his side’s two-goal cushion in the closing stages with a looping header from Benes’ free-kick. There was another twist, however, as Martin Hinteregger set up a grandstand finish when he reduced the arrears with a towering header from a corner, but Zakaria’s low drive late on sealed the points and Gladbach’s place at the league summit.

• Thuram has scored all four of his Bundesliga goals in his last five games and is now the club's joint-top scorer this term alongside Alassane Plea.
• Frankfurt have scored at least once in every Bundesliga game this season. The Eagles have also scored 12 of their 16 goals in the second half of their matches.
• Da Costa's goal was his first in the Bundesliga since 17 February this year - which also came against Gladbach.
• Gladbach's summer signings have scored more goals (eight) than their counterparts at any other Bundesliga clubs: Thuram has four, Embolo three and Stefan Lainer one.
• The Foals have won every game they have taken the lead in this season (five).
• Wendt netted his first goal of 2019/20 here, meaning the defender has found the net at least once in each of the past eight seasons. Gladbach are unbeaten whenever he's scored, winning 13 and drawing one.

Watch: Thuram reflects on an "incredible game"

Gladbach: Sommer (c) – Lainer, Elvedi, Jantschke (Beyer 46'), Wendt – Benes, Zakaria, Neuhaus – Embolo (Stindl 35') - Herrmann (Hofmann 82'), Thuram
Unused subs: Grün, Kramer, Bensebaini, Makridis
Out: Bennetts (thigh), Ginter (shoulder), Johnson (groin), Plea (thigh), Raffael (groin), Strobl (knee), Traore (ankle)
Coach: Marco Rose

Frankfurt: Rönnow – Abraham (c), Hasebe, Hinteregger – da Costa, Fernandes (Joveljic 83'), Rode (Kohr 46'), Kostic (Chandler 79') – Kamada, Sow – Paciencia
Unused subs: Wiedwald, Ndicka, Falette, Torro, Durm
Out: de Guzman (match fitness), Dost (groin), Russ (Achilles tendon), Silva (unknown), Toure (thigh), Trapp (shoulder)
Coach: Adi Hütter