Eagles toast dream duo

Dino Toppmöller's men were highly impressive when finishing in third spot in Germany's top flight last term and in Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Can Uzun, they had a couple of stars very much on the rise. 

The pair appeared to come of age in Eintracht's opening triumph on Saturday, combining to great effect as they shared involvement in three of their team's four goals. 

A teen sensation at Nuremberg in Bundesliga 2 before moving to Frankfurt last summer, it is now clear for all to see why supporters of Der Club were devastated to lose Uzun. 

Watch: Uzun and Bahoya torment Werder

The Turkey international opened the scoring against Werder with a sensational strike from distance that flew into top corner of goalkeeping debutant Mio Backhaus' net, bringing the Frankfurt faithful to their feet. 

Those same fans had witnessed Uzun provide eight goal involvements in 31 games in all competitions last term. The attacking midfielder already had a second goal involvement for this campaign against Bremen when brilliantly teeing up Bahoya, who headed Eintracht 2-0 in front.

When the pair again combined to give the Eagles a three-goal advantage quickly after the restart, it was clear that a special partnership was being forged.     

"I love playing with Can Uzun; he plays very well, knows me, and sees if he can pass to me," Bahoya said after Eintracht's 4-1 win, in quotes appearing on the club's official website.

"I'm very happy with [my] two goals and, of course, that we won," the 20-year-old France U21 international continued. "Hopefully, we can continue like this next week [against Hoffenheim]."

Bahoya was signed by Frankfurt from French outfit Angers in January 2024. An exciting, versatile left-winger, he properly assessed the terrain last season when used 24 times by coach Toppmöller and he even clocked a new speed record in the Bundesliga, being captured up at 23.09 mph (37.16 km/h) in a game against Bochum. 

Yet it was Saturday's showing against the Green-Whites which Bahoya felt was his finest yet for the Eagles. "Perhaps it was my best performance in Frankfurt," the player who featured at last summer's UEFA U21 Euros with France, said.

"I played with a lot of energy, speed, and confidence, and I hope it was just the beginning."

Bahoya's efforts saw him voted the Man of the Match on the official Bundesliga app. Involved in the most shots on goal of any player (four shots, two shot assists), the French flyer was also the game's best tackler, winning 76 per cent of his duels. 

Watch: when Bahoya set a new Bundesliga speed record

His 19 sprints were also more than any other Frankfurt player. A first Bundesliga brace was the icing on the cake of the perfect afternoon for the attacker.

"For the first time, I scored two goals in a game, which is a wonderful feeling," Bahoya enthused. "I had the space and freedom to show my football [and] I hope I can score even more goals this season," he added.  

His partner in footballing crime, Uzun, finished just behind Bahoya in the Man-of-the-Match voting, with 37 percent to the Frenchman's 42. Uzun's goal and two assists represented the first time he was involved in three goals in the same Bundesliga game. It was also the three-time Turkey international's first double assist.  

Watch: Uzun: "I'm really looking forward to the new season"

With substitute Ansgar Knauff also on target on opening day, it was the first time Eintracht had started a Bundesliga season with four or more goals for 32 years.

It all means the Eagles are off to a flyer, while their young, attacking talent are in the mood to create something special in the campaign to come.