Marmoush wonder strike clinches victory | OneFootball

Eintracht Frankfurt beat SK Slavia Praha 1-0 thanks to Omar Marmoush’s free-kick, claiming their third straight win in the UEFA Europa League.

There were four changes to the starting line-up from the 7-2 thrashing of Bochum on Saturday: Arthur Theate, Mario Götze, Hugo Larsson and Can Uzun came in for Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, Nathaniel Brown, Hugo Ekitiké and Ellyes Skhiri.

Frankfurt with better chances in goalless first half

The Eagles created the first opportunity in the seventh minute. In typical fashion, Omar Marmoush collected the ball on the halfway line and raced forwards, before warming the gloves of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky with a powerful shot. A better chance arrived five minutes later, when Slavia gave the ball away in their own penalty box. Marmoush took advantage and teed up  Mo Dahoud, but his effort found the wrong side of the roof of the net.

Eintracht were starting to get on top and Marmoush threatened again on 26 minutes, showing good feet to work some space just inside the area before dragging a shot wide of the far post. The best chance of the half fell to Ansgar Knauff, who escaped free from a throw-in and only had Kinsky to beat, but met his match in the Czech keeper. The visitors, for their part, didn’t manage a single shot on target in the first half, although Tomas Chory was inches away from turning in Simion Michez’s pass shortly before the break.

Magic from Marmoush

The Czech league leaders were proving to be the “tough nut to crack” that Dino Toppmöller anticipated in his pre-match press conference, but the decisive moment of the contest came just eight minutes into the second half, and once again came from the boot of Marmoush. Like he did against Bochum, the in-form Egyptian curled a brilliant free-kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Kinsky with no chance and notching his 13th goal (and 22nd goal involvement) of the season in all competitions.

Slavia kept battling away and attacking the Frankfurt box, but the Eagles’ back line, led by Robin Koch and Tuta, stood firm. In fact, it was the hosts who looked more likely to net the second goal on the counter. Marmoush was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Igoh Ogbu as he ran through, his last action of the game before being replaced by Ekitiké. Igor Matanovic, Junior Dina Ebimbe, Aurele Amenda and Skhiri also came off the bench in the closing stages as Eintracht protected their slender lead.

Having had little to do all game, Kevin Trapp was called on to make two good saves in the final 10 minutes from Ondrej Lingr and Matej Jurasek, while at the other end, Dina Ebimbe and Ekitiké both had chances to seal the three points. They were safe anyway, though, keeping the Eagles unbeaten in Europe this season with a third win from four league phase outings.