Götze strikes as Frankfurt end Union’s unbeaten streak

Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Union Berlin
Goals: 1-0 Götze 12‘ (assist: Kolo Muani), 2-0 Lindstrom (42‘)
Red card: Kolo Muani (68‘)

Union came into the game with the best record from free-kicks, but they set out to show how handy they can also be from open play with Jordan flashing a header wide with the first chance of the game. That was followed immediately by Frankfurt’s first opportunity, which was one they took clinically. Randal Kolo Muani burst to the goal line and cut a perfect pass back for Götze to place into the far corner, beyond the desperate lunge of a Union defender. Kolo Muani repeated the trick and delivered another teasing cut-back which, on this occasion, was struck over the crossbar by Luca Pellegrini. Kolo Muani’s constant trickery was keeping the Union defence on their toes, but Frankfurt’s rearguard also had to be alert as Sheraldo Becker used his pace to carve open an opportunity for Jordan. Pellegrini got closer with his next shot, clipping the top of the crossbar with a sweet volley, before Jesper Lindstrom showed him how it is done with a delightful display of close control and dribbling skills to skip past three defenders and dispatch the ball into the back of the net with aplomb.

With their unbeaten record under serious threat, Union had to find another gear in the second half and that meant sacrificing the league’s top-scorer Becker, with Sven Michel taking his place, but it was a red card to Kolo Muani which gave them their best route back into the game. Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner responded by withdrawing Sebastian Rode and Pellegrini and freshening up his defence, frustrating the guests who could not make their one-man advantage count. Tim Skarke missed the best chance as Union huffed and puffed in pursuit of a lifeline. They doubled their number of shots from the first half, with six efforts after the break, but that was not enough for them to preserve their unbeaten start to the season as they came unstuck for the first time this term and allowed Frankfurt to close to within three points of their perch at the top of the pile.

• Pellegrini took more shots (four) than in his first three Bundesliga games (three) combined.
• Becker hit a season-high top speed of 22.37 mph (36 km/h), dislodging Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies as the league’s fastest player this season.
• Union fell behind for the first time in a Bundesliga game this season.
• Kolo Muani’s fifth assist of the season took him to the top of the Bundesliga assist charts.
• Union had been on a club record 14-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, and have now lost on their last three trips to Frankfurt.

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Watch: Jesper Lindstrom - 'We deserved it today'

Frankfurt: Trapp - Knauff, Tuta, Ndicka, Pellegrini (Lenz 71') - Rode (c) (Dina Ebimbe 71'), Hasebe - Lindstrom (Borre 85'), Götze (Sow 66'), Kamada - Kolo Muani
Unused subs: Ramaj, Smolcic, Alidou, Alario, Chandler
Out: Buta (knee), Onguene (groin), Toure (muscular)
Coach: Oliver Glasner

Union: Ronnow - Baumgartl (Skarke 74'), Jaeckel, Leite - Trimmel (c), Thorsby (Schäfer 57'), Khedira (Behrens 74'), Haberer, Gießelmann - Becker (Michel 66'), Jordan
Unused subs. Grill, Seguin, Haraguchi, Puchacz, Knoche
Out: Möhwald (knock)
Coach: Urs Fischer

Watch: Urs Fischer - 'We didn't do our job'