Bundesliga
New-look Eagles continue to soar
Everything's coming up Eintracht Frankfurt. A third competitive win of the campaign arriving in the form of a 3-1 triumph at the previously in-form Hoffenheim had Ritsu Dōan and Can Uzun taking many of the plaudits from the vast travelling support at the PreZero Arena on Saturday.
If Uzun's star has been shining brightly in the early dawn of a new campaign, the same can certainly be said of Dōan, who enjoyed three goal involvements [two goals and an assist] in the same Bundesliga game for the first time in his career on Matchday 2.
A wonderful, curling effort from distance saw Frankfurt - victors against Werder Bremen last weekend - open the scoring in Sinsheim and the Japan international was on target again 10 minutes later, converting Jean-Mattéo Bahoya's centre. Bahoya, remember, scored twice against Bremen just last week.
"Ritsu Dōan's brilliant first goal opened the door for us, and our second and third goals were really well worked too, from start to finish," Die Adler coach Dino Toppmöller purred after the game, in quote's appearing on Eintracht's official website.
By the 51st minute against Hoffenheim, Frankfurt were out of sight when Dōan teed up Uzun to make it 3-0, the latter scoring for a second straight weekend for the first time in the Bundesliga. An injury-time TSG consolation failed to dampen visiting spirits, although Uzun was keen to add that he expects even more from himself and the Eagles going forward.
"I didn’t have my best game today, but at least I was able to score a goal," the 19-year-old explained. "It was a tough game, especially in the first half, but we played well [and] things are going well for us," Uzun added.
In a sign of just how well things are going for Uzun, Saturday saw the three-time Turkey international make it four goal involvements in Eintracht's opening two Bundesliga games. Only Bayern Munich's Harry Kane [5] can boast more.
So soon after becoming the sixth Japanese player to ever take the field for Eintracht since signing from Freiburg, Dōan's numbers are equally as impressive.
The 27-year-old scored twice on his competitive Frankfurt debut, a 5-0 DFB Cup win against FV Engers, and his two goals and assist against Hoffenheim made it five goal involvements in three matches for the former Gamba Osaka youth.
It all means that the Eagles - who equalled their best-ever Bundesliga finish of third last term - have made their best start to a top-tier campaign since 2012.
Toppmöller has now also overseen eight unbeaten Bundesliga games at the Eintracht helm - stretching back to last season - for the first time.
Watch: The best of Can Uzun in 24/25
In a week when Eintracht learned that they would be competing against the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Napoli - among others - in the UEFA Champions League, the Eagles are showing they will be a match for all-comers on domestic and European fronts in a season that already appears filled with so much promise.