Toppmöller's Eintracht battle back to earn draw against Bremen
The spoils were shared in the second Sunday kickoff on match-day 11 of the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. SV Werder Bremen were unable to preserve a 2-0 lead against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Weserstadion.
Thanks in large part to some set-up work from Omar Marmoush, Dino Toppmöller's SGE were able to fight back and earn a 2-2 draw.
Thanks in large part to some set-up work from Omar Marmoush, Dino Toppmöller's SGE were able to fight back and earn a 2-2 draw.
Heavy rotations from SGE trainer Dino Toppmöller saw the Eintracht side that took three points home from Helsinki on Thursday in the Conference League re-formatted to resemble the XI that started last week against Union Berlin in the league. The only two changes from last Saturday placed Aurelio Buta and Hrvoje Smolcic replace the injured Robin Koch and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe. SV head-coach Werner left the XI that earned a 2-2 draw against Wolfsburg last Sunday untouched.
Strikers Omar Marmoush and Rafael Santos Borré traded chances during what was otherwise a rather uneventful opening quarter-of-an-hour. After the 15-minute mark, the flow of the match flattened out due to many fouls, stoppages, and generally clumsy play. Eintracht didn't stir matters up until shortly before the end of the half with a pair of Fares Chaibi chances. It would nevertheless be the hosting Hanseaten who opened the scoring just before it was time to head into the tunnel.
Ansgar Knauff tugged down Jens Stage in the penalty area at 45+1. Match official Benjamin Brand immediately pointed to the spot. Newly called-up German national team striker Marvin Ducksch converted cooly to give his team a 1-0 half-time lead. Ducksch's attacking partner Borré added the second five minutes after the restart. Ducksch initiated the play after Willian Pacho lost the ball in the 50th. Leonardo Bittencourt then sent the Colombian striker, and Frankfurt loanee, through to finish off the 2-0.
There were plenty of signs of fightback from the visiting RheinMain Adler after falling two goals behind. Knauff unfortunately missed a sitter in the 55th. Marmoush just missed the target five minutes later. The first pull-back goal came in the 65th when Werder found themselves unset off a throw-in. Marmoush set Ellyes Skhiri up artistically on the 1-2, in the process earning his first league assist of the season. Ten minutes after that, Toppmöller's crew would have the equalizer off another dead-ball.
Tuta headed a Marmoush free-kick across the goal-line in the 75th. Smolcic was waiting unmarked to head the ball over the line for the 2-2. The affair featured quite the frantic finish in the final 15 minutes. Skhiri and Marmoush came close with opportunities to give their side the lead. Bremen substitute Justin Njinmah regrettably missed out on some wide-open teammates during a golden opportunity on a breakaway in the 87th. Ducksch also failed to score on another big chance in the 90th.