Year ends with defeat | OneFootball

Eintracht were beaten 3-1 by Mainz, suffering their first home reverse in any competition this season.

Dino Toppmöller’s final starting line-up of 2024 showed five changes from the 2-1 defeat at Leipzig last Sunday. First-choice goalkeeper Kevin Trapp was absent due to illness so Kaua Santos deputised, while Nnamdi Collins, Ellyes Skhiri, Farès Chaibi and Oscar Højlund were preferred to Ansgar Knauff, Mo Dahoud, Hugo Larsson and Can Uzun. For Højlund it was a first start for Eintracht.

Mainz efficient with 10 men

Eintracht started on the front foot and went close to scoring inside the first minute, Skhiri shooting just wide from a second ball. In the seventh minute, Collins found himself through on goal and tried to square it to Omar Marmoush instead of going for glory himself, but ex-Eagle Dominik Kohr got in the way. Out of nothing, Mainz then took the lead in bizarre fashion when Santos fumbled Skhiri’s looping back-pass into his own net (15’).

Frankfurt looked to respond immediately and Rasmus Kristensen headed the ball against the bar from Nathaniel Brown’s corner (19’). They were then given a lifeline on 21 minutes, when Mainz captain Nadiem Amiri was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Skhiri. However, the extra man didn’t prove to be an advantage as the visitors doubled their lead just six minutes later. Paul Nebel’s powerful long-distance shot took a deflection off Robin Koch and wrongfooted Santos, meaning Mainz led by two goals from just one attempt.

The Eagles unsurprisingly dominated possession from then on but were too inaccurate in their final passes or finishing. Chaibi (37’) and Hugo Ekitiké (42’) both had efforts saved by visiting goalkeeper Robin Zentner, and even the usually clinical Marmoush twice blazed over the target from inside the penalty area at the end of the first half.

Nebel completes brace, Kristensen with consolation

Toppmöller made a double substitution at the break, introducing Larsson and Uzun in place of Skhiri and Collins. And the young Turkish striker had a big chance to get his side back in the game straight away, but he got his foot over the ball and couldn’t generate enough power with the goal gaping (49’). Eintracht continued to be frustrated by the 05ers’ resolute rearguard, and their frustration worsened in the 58th minute with a third Mainz goal. Again it originated from a Santos pass, and although the Brazilian saved Jae-sung Lee’s first effort, he was beaten by Nebel’s follow-up.

That prompted a triple change from Frankfurt, with Igor Matanovic, Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Knauff coming on. The hosts kept pounding the Mainz goal but it seemed to be living a charmed life, with a defender or Zentner blocking everything that came its way. That was until Kristensen gave the home crowd hope, heading in from Eintracht’s 14thcorner of the day. That sparked a final attacking charge, but neither Koch (82’) or Theate (90’+2) could beat Zentner, leaving the Eagles to end the year with a first loss at home since May.