Bundesliga
Burkardt double helps Eagles down Galatasaray
Dino Toppmöller will be delighted with Eintracht Frankfurt's display of resilience in coming back from going an early goal behind to take maximum points from Galatasaray on a night when Jonathan Burkardt opened his scoring account for the Eagles with a well-timed double.
Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 Galatasaray
Goals: 0-1 Akgün 8' (assist: Sané), 1-1 Davinson Sánchez o.g. 37', 2-1 Uzun 45'+2 (assist: Burkardt), 3-1 Burkardt 45'+4 (assist: Chaïbi), 4-1 Burkardt 66' (assist: Brown), 5-1 Knauff 75' (assist: Wahi)
Their morale slightly dented by last weekend's first reverse of the season against Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht endured one more setback at the start of their league phase opener against the Turkish champions when a familiar face in Leroy Sané freed Yunus Akgün, who beat his man before finishing smartly for the game's opening goal.
The hosts were rattled, and it took them some time to get their game going as a result. When they did, captain Robin Koch's header caused a headache in the visiting defence, forcing a goal-line clearance that instilled home belief.
Indeed, it wasn't long afterwards that Die Adler were on terms. Ritsu Dōan's attempt to lob Uğurcan Çakır saw Davinson Sánchez produce a crucial deflection that took the ball into the back of the net.
Watch: Frankfurt's new goal brokers
With Galatasaray now on the back foot, the Lions were looking to make it to half-time and reset. Yet the visitors weren't allowed any such comfort, with Frankfurt downing Okan Buruk's men with a double blow before the break.
Can Uzun - who has five goal involvements in three Bundesliga appearances already this term - produced a fine turn and strike that left Çakır flailing. The keeper was picking the ball out of his net once more moments later when Burkadt - the assist provider for Uzun's goal, headed home his first for Frankfurt from a Fares Chaibi free kick.
It would be a double celebration on his Champions League debut for former Mainz man and Germany international Burkardt when the 25-year-old put the game beyond Galatasaray's reach in the 66th minute with one more header, this time from Nathaniel Brown's centre.
The icing on the cake for Toppmöller & Co. came in the form of an Ansgar Knauff strike that left the Waldstadion bouncing on its foundations as all of Eintracht rejoiced in a five-start start to their European campaign.
Match stats
- Uzun and Burkardt scored their first-ever Champions League goals.
- At 19 years and 311 days, Uzun is the second-youngest Turkish player to score in the Champions League proper. His best friend Kenan Yıldız is the youngest.
- Frankfurt are playing Champions League/European Cup football for the third time. They reached the 2022/23 round of 16 and 1959/60 final.
- Götze is the current Frankfurt squad’s most experienced Champions League player. He’s made 69 appearances in the competition, registering 12 goals and 19 assists.
- Frankfurt played Galatasary twice before the teams' latest meeting, losing 1-0 on aggregate in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup second round.
- Galatasaray’s record across 13 Champions League meetings with German clubs now reads: W2, D3, L8.
- Gündogan won the 2022/23 Champions League with Manchester City. Ten years earlier, he scored in Dortmund's 2-1 final loss to Bayern.
Teams
Frankfurt: Zetterer – Collins, Koch (c) (Amenda 79'), Theate, Brown – Larsson (Skhiri 79'), Chaïbi - Dōan (Batshuayi 84'), Uzun (Bahoya 71'), Knauff – Burkardt (Wahi 71')
Unused subs: Grahl, Santos, Baum, Höljund, Dahoud, Chandler, Buta
Out: Götze (thigh), Kristensen (thigh), Ngankam (ineligible)
Coach: Dino Toppmöller
Galatasaray: Çakır - Sallai, Sánchez, Singo, Elmalı (Jakobs 66') - Torreira, Lemina (Icardi 55')- Sané (Kutucu 66'), Gündoğan (Sara 66'), Yılmaz - Akgün (c) (Kaan Ayhan 77')
Unused subs: Batuhan, Günay, Baltaci, Kutlu, Demir, Bardakci, Ünyay
Out: Karataş (ineligible), Osimhen (ankle)
Coach: Okan Buruk
As it happened!
5 - 1(3 - 1)
Frankfurt
FINAL
Galatasaray
90' +1
Stoppage time
Four additional minutes are indicated.
90'
Cramp
Play halts as Torreira is down for Galatasaray with cramp in his left leg.
88'
Game management
Frankfurt are showing real professionalism in the dying embers here, not overcommitting men forward and not allowing Galatasaray any late chances.
84'
vs
Michy Batshuayi
Ritsu Dōan
80'
More changes
Koch and Larsson are given a breather in the late stages here, replaced by Amenda and Skhiri who are brought on to see the game out.
79'
vs
Aurèle Amenda
Robin Koch
79'
vs
Ellyes Skhiri
Hugo Larsson
77'
vs
Kaan Ayhan
Yunus Akgün
75'
Knauff gets in on the act!
The No.7 repays Toppmöller's faith in him by adding his side's fifth of the night. The recently introduced Wahi wins the ball back off Sara, with a great challenge on Galatasaray's last man. Knauff pounces on the loose ball, rounds the goalkeeper and rolls the ball into an empty net.
71'
vs
Elye Wahi
Jonathan Burkardt
71'
vs
Jean-Mattéo Bahoya
Can Uzun
70'
Theate down
Following a collision with his goalkeeper, the Belgian stays down with a head injury. Following a stoppage, in which the defender receives treatment, he gets back to his feet and is set to continue.
68'
Triple change
After conceding a fourth, Buruk looks to his bench again, making a triple alteration as Jakobs, Sara, and Kutucu enter the fray.
67'
vs
Ismail Jakobs
Eren Elmalı
67'
vs
Gabriel Sara
İlkay Gündoğan
66'
vs
Ahmed Kutucu
Leroy Sané
66'
Burkardt gets his brace!
Frankfurt are running riot here. This time, Brown gets high up the pitch on the left and is played through to the byline, from where he digs out a cross towards Burkardt. The No.9 heads goalwards, but it takes a huge deflection off Sánchez, which wrong-foots Çakır.
65'
Speculative
Gündoğan beats two Frankfurt players inside the hosts' half before teeing up Akgün, who shoots from range. It's a well-struck effort which bounces just in front of Zetterer, but it's no problem for the Eintracht custodian.
61'
Gündoğan from close range
With a little bit of luck, a Yılmaz cross reaches Gündoğan inside the six yard box. It seems to catch the German midfielder off guard, who guides it straight into the palms of Zetterer. From his reaction, it's clear he felt there was more in that for the visitors...
59'
Squandered by Knauff
Chaïbi gets clean through down the right flank for Frankfurt. Reaching the byline, he floats a cross towards Knauff at the back post, who goes for it on the volley from a tight angle, but completely shanks the connection, sending the ball well off target.
57'
Struck by Uzun
It's end-to-end at the moment here. Uzun leads a counter charge, driving up the pitch before laying it out wide to Knauff. The No.42 gets it back and hits an effort from the edge of the box, but it's straight at Çakır, who gathers comfortably.
56'
Offensive alteration
The substitution is a statement of intent from Galatasaray, who replace midfielder Lemina with out-and-out striker Icardi, as they continue to chase a two-goal deficit here.
55'
vs
Mauro Icardi
Mario Lemina
55'
Sané on the volley
A defensive header from Theate falls kindly for Sané on the edge of the box. The former Bayern winger touches it down coolly with his chest before letting fly with a venomous volley, which whistles narrowly past Zetterer's right post.
52'
Knauff's shot blocked
Burkardt intercepts the ball high up the pitch before teeing up Knauff, whose effort from the edge of the box is blocked behind for a corner by Singo.
50'
Galatasaray coach booked
The visitors' manager picks up a yellow card for delaying the restart from a throw-in.
50'
vs
Okan Buruk
48'
Uzun leads the charge
The first-half goalscorer slaloms his way towards the Galatasaray penalty area. He tries to slip Brown through to his left, but takes a tumble before he can play the ball. The referee correctly dismisses the calls for a free-kick.
46'
Peeep!
It's the visitors from Türkiye who get the ball rolling again here. Both sides emerge unchanged after the interval.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
0 - 0
Half-time
45' +5
Burkardt makes it three!
What a turnaround for the hosts! Right before the interval, a Chaïbi cross from a set-piece by the left touchline is floated into the box and Burkardt rises highest to glance it past Çakır! After a VAR check, the goal stands.
45' +2
Uzun fires Frankfurt into the lead!
What a moment for the 19-year-old! Burkardt whips a cross in from the right. The No.42 takes one touch to control it, before hitting a powerful effort on the turn with his second, rifling it into the roof of the net. There was no stopping that for Çakır and Eintracht steal the lead just before the break.
45'
Stoppage time
Three additional minutes are indicated.
42'
Galatasaray second chalked off
Torreira wins the ball back off Chaïbi high up the pitch for the visitors before firing a cross into Yılmaz, who heads home past Zetterer with a superb diving header. It's not going to count, however, as Torreira was correctly judged to have fouled Chaïbi in the build-up.
37'
vs
Davinson Sánchez
OWNGOAL!
1:138'
Dōan forces the leveller for Frankfurt!
The Eagles have landed! An Uzun pass is intercepted by Elmalı, but the Galatasaray defender miscontrols it, allowing Dōan to pounce. The winger shows his pace, bursting into the box before lifting the ball over the onrushing Çakır. It takes a big deflection off Sánchez on the way in, and as such, will go down as an own goal, but neither he, nor any Frankfurt fan in the stadium will care!
35'
Gündoğan floats it
The former Dortmund man plays a teasing ball into the Frankfurt box from a free-kick. Eintracht don't deal with it on the first time of asking, but Theate is there to clear the second ball.
30'
Off the line!
It's Frankfurt's best chance of the night so far. A free-kick is floated from deep by Chaïbi. Koch gets his head to it, knocking it down for Burkardt, but the striker fails to make contact with the ball inside the six yard box. Even so, a Galatasaray leg directs the ball goalwards, but the visitors just manage to scramble it clear from off the line.
28'
Beaten away by Zetterer
Galatasaray switch the play from left to right. Sallai is up from the back and makes a great overlap before firing a cross into the six yard box. It's a really dangerous cross, but Zetterer is alert and parries the ball to safety.
25'
Frankfurt look to counter
In the immediate aftermath, the hosts have an overload down the right. Burkardt tries to pick Dōan out, but his through ball is just slightly overcooked. By the time the Japan international recovers the ball, Galatasaray have plenty of numbers behind the ball.
24'
Well over!
A Torreira shot strikes Koch's hand right on the edge of the Frankfurt penalty area. Gündoğan takes the subsequent free-kick, faking to shoot before laying it off to Yılmaz on his left, who was all alone inside the Eintracht box, but skies his effort well over the bar from eight yards.
22'
Another warning
Singo drives up the field from defence, beating three defenders before playing Yılmaz through down the right channel. The Turkish forward strikes a right-footed effort across goal, but Zetterer is equal to it.
19'
Teasing cross
A long ball up from Zetterer is brought down by Burkardt. The forward links up well with Dōan before searching for Knauff at the far post with a whipped, left-footed cross. It's a really awkward one for the visitors to defend, but just has too much on it for Knauff to be able to reach it and goes behind for a goal-kick.