Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt bounced back from back-to-back Bundesliga defeats to remain in close pursuit of the top four with a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
Goals: 1-0 Da Costa (28'), 2-0 Kostic (57'), 2-1 Bellarabi (65')
With both sides having successfully navigated their ways into the last 32 of the Europa League during the week, it was back to Bundesliga business with three points at stake and no holding back in the early exchanges, leading up to a goal for Karim Bellarabi which was ruled out by Video Assist due to offside. There were no such doubts about the goal which came at the other end, though, with Danny Da Costa meeting Filip Kostic's cross unmarked and slotting in from close range. Lukas Hradecky then denied his former side a more handsome lead at the break as he saved from Sebastien Haller.
Frankfurt did double their lead just shy of the hour mark when an excellent combination culminated in Haller's low cross being met by Kostic, who tucked in his first goal of the season. Victory could have been placed under lock and key by Ante Rebic minutes later, but he screwed his shot wide of the far post. Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich responded by sending on both Leon Bailey and Lucas Alario, and he reaped an immediate reward with Bellarabi threading the needle with his shot inside Kevin Trapp's near post from the Jamaican's cross. That set up a tense finale in which the tackles were flying in, but the hosts managed to hold on to a win which keeps them hot on the heels of fourth-placed Leipzig.
Frankfurt: Trapp – Salcedo, Falette, NDicka – Da Costa, Gacinovic (Stendera, 90+2'), Fernandes (c), Willems (De Guzman 84'), Kostic – Haller, Rebic (Jovic 81')
Unused subs: Rönnow, Russ, Müller, Tawatha
Out: Abraham (calf), Allan (ankle), Chandler (knee), Torro (pubic bone), Paciencia (knee), Hasebe (muscle injury)
Coach: Adi Hütter
Leverkusen: Hradecky – Weiser (Bailey 63'), Tah, Dragovic, Jedvaj – Kohr, Aranguiz (Alario 63') – Bellarabi, Havertz, Brandt (Paulinho 85') – Volland (c)
Unused subs: Kirschbaum, S. Bender, Baumgartlinger, Wendell
Out: Pohjanpalo (ankle), Retsos (thigh)
Coach: Heiko Herrlich