Bundesliga victory against Leipzig: Eintracht delivers impressive answers

It's certainly not often these days that the man wearing the number 22 steps up for a substitution at Eintracht Frankfurt. However, whenever Timothy "Timmy" Chandler so much as steps onto the pitch, the crowd roars with enthusiasm. The Frankfurt native plays the cheerful father figure to the many multicultural talents. And on Saturday evening, Eintracht Frankfurt had the opportunity to give the 35-year-old fan favorite some playing time again in the top match against Leipzig (4-0).

Against RB Leipzig, of all teams, the closest rivals, whom Chandler's Frankfurt have now left far behind in third place. A place in the Champions League is close for the Hessian club. "We've taken a giant step," said goalkeeper and captain Kevin Trapp happily. The fact that his teammates appeared so composed "despite their young age" (Trapp) also surprised the veteran. While Frankfurt enjoyed the successful evening, gloom reigned on the Leipzig side. The away section, decorated with a Rasenballsport poster, was half empty anyway, which somehow fit the picture: The club has never won against SGE since its founding – but has it ever been so blatantly defeated?

In what could be a decisive match for his first title, Harry Kane is missing from FC Bayern Munich due to a yellow card suspension, for which the striker has sharply criticized referee Bastian Dankert. Thomas Müller could replace him – in his third-to-last Bundesliga game.

Managing Director Marcel Schäfer was shocked to see Eintracht Frankfurt, with their quick transitions, copying RB Leipzig's previous successful style. "Frankfurt showed us what it means to play forward purposefully, with few contacts, exploiting depth, and repeatedly creating chances." Pace and depth were once Leipzig's trademarks – now Schäfer could only conclude: "We were inferior in every area. We didn't live up to our expectations, neither in terms of the way we played nor in terms of the result."

In the decisive moments, the visitors simply watched. First, the outstanding Ansgar Knauff scored twice (21st and 53rd minutes), then striker Hugo Ekitiké (67th minute) and the almost insurmountable defensive leader Robin Koch rounded off a gala with their headers. It was a football match that bore the hallmarks of humiliation after the sending off of Leipzig's young defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu for a foul in the 50th minute. It's puzzling how this disheveled team, without any points to its name, will still be able to catch SC Freiburg, who are stable fourth in the table.

Especially since FC Bayern Munich is hoping to complete its masterpiece in Saxony next Saturday. In the worst case scenario, Leipzig could slip out of the European Cup places altogether – should they also suffer a defeat in Bremen on the penultimate matchday. Jürgen Klopp, as the new "Global Head of Soccer" for the Red Bull construct, has a lot of work to do. After all, there wasn't even a hint of a game plan to be found in Frankfurt. And certainly no inspiration. The announced upheaval may have to be bigger than expected.

The underperformance of players like Xavi Simons, who wore his captain's armband without any physical tension, was deeply disturbing. Leipzig lacked everything that defined the philosophy once developed by Ralf Rangnick and continued by Julian Nagelsmann. Interim coach Zsolt Löw made serious mistakes with some personnel changes. The Hungarian ended his experiment with Kosta Nedeljkovic as a right-wing player or Ridle Baku in defensive midfield at halftime. Löw said afterward that he needed to "sleep on it first" before looking ahead: "I can't give a clear picture of what went wrong. We failed as a team." Löw didn't exclude himself: "If something doesn't work – tactically or if the team isn't mentally well prepared – then, of course, I am primarily responsible."

Eintracht, on the other hand, has undergone a joint development process between team and coach. "Wow! What a statement win," enthused head coach Dino Toppmöller. "We still had a score to settle." This was a reference to the December defeats in the league (1:2) and cup (0:3) against RB Leipzig. If they were to qualify for the Champions League via the league for the first time (they achieved this in 2022 via their Europa League triumph), "then you'd be in the history books," Toppmöller said. The response to the avoidable Europa League exit against Tottenham was impressive.

"Sometimes defeats are part of a team's development. The coaching staff did a good job: It's important in football not to spoil the boys' fun and to see the opportunity rather than the risk," praised sporting director Markus Krösche. At the same time, he indicated that Toppmöller could expect an early contract extension – in any case, they would "like to continue on this path." Krösche, who previously spent a long time in Leipzig, has also proven how to put together a highly exciting squad with plenty of development potential. Six players in Frankfurt's starting eleven were 23 years old or younger – and each one seemed to have more running ability and a stronger willpower than their Leipzig counterparts.