Bundesliga
Filip Kostic and Sasa Kalajdzic each continued their impressive recent form with a goal apiece as Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart shared the points in a 1-1 draw.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 VfB Stuttgart
Goals: 0-1 Kalajdzic (68'), 1-1 Kostic (69')
Frankfurt have the league’s fourth-best home record this season, while Stuttgart are the division’s third-best away side, so it was perhaps unsurprising that the teams neutralised each other in the first half, with few real scoring opportunities. The hosts were marginally superior overall in the first 45 minutes and had the first sight of goal in the fourth minute when Kostic crossed for Amin Younes, whose header was straight at Gregor Kobel in the visiting goal. Stuttgart’s only real glimpse of an opening came midway through the half when Borna Sosa delivered a deep cross from the left that Kalajdzic could only head over at the far post. Kostic teed up Andre Silva for the best chance of the first period just before the break, but the Portugal international’s shot on the turn was straight at Kobel.
The second half was a more open affair and Stuttgart should have taken the lead shortly after the restart when Konstantinos Mavropanos lost Martin Hinteregger at a corner and had a free header from Sosa’s delivery, but he fired over from the edge of the six-yard box. Kostic thought he had made the Greek defender pay for that miss when he drilled an angled shot low into the corner from the edge of the Stuttgart penalty area, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review. Silva stung Kobel’s palms shortly afterwards and Luka Jovic volleyed over as Frankfurt began to build up a head of steam, but it was Stuttgart who got on the scoreboard first. Kalajdzic ghosted between two defenders to receive Marc Oliver Kempf’s floated pass, chesting it down and prodding in from close range via a deflection off Hinteregger. Their lead did not last long, however, as Kostic levelled the score just a minute later with an almost identical goal to his earlier effort that was chalked off, striking low past Kobel into the bottom corner. Both sides pushed for a winner late on, but there were no more goals in what was ultimately a fair draw.
Watch: Hütter: "Silva and Jovic both carry a real goal threat"
Frankfurt: Trapp - Hinteregger, Hasebe (c) (Rode 71'), N'Dicka - Durm (Toure 71', Chandler 82'), Sow, Ilsanker, Kostic - Younes (Zuber 86') - Silva, Jovic
Unsed subs: Schubert, Hrustic, Ache, Barkok, Willems
Out: Kamada (back), Tuta (muscular)
Coach: Adi Hütter
Stuttgart: Kobel - Mavropanos (Karazor 69'), Anton, Kempf (c) - Silas, Mangala, Endo, Sosa (Churlinov 87') - Förster, Coulibaly (Klimowicz 62') - Kalajdzic (Cisse 88')
Unused subs: Bredlow, Castro, Didavi, Stenzel, Ahamada
Out: Egloff (ankle), Gonzalez (hamstring), Mola (hip), Thommy (hip)
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo