Kolo Muani strikes again in Freiburg draw

Freiburg 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Muani 42' (assist: Götze), 1-1 Ginter 47' (assist: Günter)

Down but not out after a chastening 6-0 loss to Wolfsburg at the weekend, Freiburg asked plenty of questions of the Frankfurt defence in an intriguing first half. Michael Gregoritsch poked a volley over the crossbar in the opening exchanges, before Lucas Höler warmed the palms of Eintracht stand-in goalkeeper Diant Ramaj. Kevin Trapp's able deputy pulled off a superb double save soon after, diving at the feet of Höler and thwarting Christian Günter's follow-up shot. Shackled for the best part of 40 minutes, Kolo Muani finally tested Mark Flekken with a speculative shot from range. The France international went one better with his next effort, digging Mario Götze's bouncing ball out from under his feet on the edge of the area before arrowing with unerring accuracy into the bottom corner.

Reflecting the balance of play, parity was restored within two minutes of the restart. Günter's initial cross was cleared, but the Freiburg captain's second was right on the money for Ginter, who arrived from deep to thunder a six-yard header beyond Ramaj. The hosts could, and perhaps should, have hit the front just past the hour. Höler put the ball on a plate for Gregoritsch, only for the Austrian to volley wide with the goal at his mercy. Ramaj made a couple of vital interventions to keep out Günter's deflected cross and a fierce hit from Gregoritsch, before Götze was twice thwarted by some desperate defending at the other end. With no way through for either side, Frankfurt - who go to leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday - end the matchday in fourth. Freiburg slip a place to sixth.

• Kolo Muani has six goals and a league-leading 10 assists this season. Frankfurt have only lost once - against Bayern on Matchday 1 - when he has scored or assisted.
• Ginter scored his third Bundesliga goal of the campaign. Five is his single-season personal best (2017/18).
• Streich oversaw his 340th Bundesliga match as Freiburg coach. He'll claim the outright club record from Volke Finke on Matchday 18.
• Eintracht are unbeaten in their last five Bundesliga matches.
• Freiburg have lost to all but two of the top-seven clubs they have faced so far in 2022/23, beating Union Berlin on Matchday 15 and drawing with Frankfurt here.
• Frankfurt are this season's second best away team (behind Bayern), with 15 points from a possible 24.

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Freiburg: Flekken - Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart - Sildillia, Eggestein (Keitel 78'), Höfler, Günter (c) - Doan (Kyereh 90'+1), Gregoritsch (Petersen 90'+1), Höler (Grifo 78')
Unused subs: Atubolu, Gulde, Jeong, Weißhaupt, Röhl
Out: Sallai (muscular)
Coach: Christian Streich

Frankfurt: Ramaj - Tuta, Smolcic, N'Dicka - Knauff (Buta 64'), Kamada (Rode 64'), Sow (c), Lenz - Lindstrom (Borre 77'), Götze - Kolo Muani (Alario 89')
Unused subs: Grahl, Toure, Hasebe, Jakic, Chandler
Out: Aaronson (international duty), Dina Ebimbe (ankle), Pellegrini (calf), Trapp (illness), Wenig (metatarsal)
Coach: Oliver Glasner