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Knowing full well that their chances of qualifying for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League playoff round were slim, Bundesliga representatives Eintracht Frankfurt have gotten themselves eliminated from the entire competition. A trip to the Azerbaijani capital on Wednesday night proved fatal for the RheinMainAdler. Eintracht are now officially done after a 3-2 away defeat.
As Get German Football News noted when reporting on what would be now former Eintracht head coach Dino Toppmöller’s last match in charge, the Bundesliga outfit would likely choose this weekend to fire Toppmöller based on the fact that Qarabag Agdam constituted the weakest of their upcoming opponents. After what happened in Baku this evening, this move too isn’t looking very sharp.
The full match run-down:
Qarabag catch Frankfurt ball watching
In what was a highly disconcerting sequences for the German guests five minutes in, the SGE back-five got caught out inside of the opening five minutes. All five Eintracht markers watched leisurely as Qarabag flankers Abdellah Zoubir and Elvin Jafarguliyev tore down the Frankfurt right before sending a simple cross into the box. Qarabag’s Leandro Andrade (totally unmarked) sent the first effort in. Eintracht keeper Kaua Santos could only touch Andrade’s effort back out. Camilo Duran (also unmarked) was on hand to push in the rebound.
The hosts went up 1-0 in the 4th-minute.
Frankfurt strike back with fancy footwork
Only six minutes later, Eintracht were able to capitalize on some shaky defending to equalize. In the 10th-minute, it was the Azerbaijani team’s turn to ball-watch. Ritsu Doan’s elegance long dribble on the SGE right threw the Qarabag defensive ranks off. Qarabag’s Pedro Bicalho eventually got the ball once Doan was finally stripped, but it over immediately to Can Uzun. After Uzun centered himself with a nice horizontal dribble of his own, the Turkish international cooly finished into the left-hand corner from about 15 meters out.
Parity was quickly restored.
Neither team manages sustained momentum
Buoyed by his eighth goal across all competitions this season, Uzun remained lively and got another effort off in the 15th-minute. The German guests dominated possession for a time, but (thanks to the fact that Uzun was operating as a false-nine) simply didn’t have the bodies in the penalty area to score the go-ahead goal. The hosts enjoyed a stronger spell in the final ten minutes. Eintracht keeper Kaua Santos, shaky on the ball in many instances, was at least strong enough to deny Qarabag a chance to score in the 37th.
The teams entered the locker room deadlocked at 1-1.
Second Half disappoints
There genuinely isn’t much to say at all about a second 45 minutes interrupted by injury timeouts and frequently turgid play. Both teams remained devoid of ideas going forward and generally simply recycled possession until one of the opponents broke up play. Eintracht and Qarabag players (Rasmus Kristensen, 57th-minute and Camilo Duran, 73rd-minute) also disappointed with cheap attempts to draw penalties with minimal contact flops in the box. Swiss referee Sandro Schärer wasn’t interested in either scene.
Eventually, a spot kick would come
Frankfurt finally draw legitimate penalty
Schärer nevertheless didn’t hesitate when Bahlul Mustafazada shoulder-checked Ansgar Knauff in the box 76th-minute. The Swiss ref had little choice as Mustafazada’s challenge on the Germany U21 international was worthy of an ice-hockey match. Algerian international Fares Chaïbi – on for Uzun in the 71st – duly converted the 1-2 in the 77th minute. The scoreline gave Eintracht hope that qualification for the UCL playoff round might be possible.
Unfortunately, this hope would be short-lived.
Qarabag answer promptly
Frankfurt quickly lived up to their reputation and defended badly. Kristensen and Robin Koch lost sight of an underlapping Jafarguliyev in the 80th minute. Marko Jankovic unlocked Jafarguliyev, who in turn set up Duran’s second goal of the evening. Neither Koch nor Kaua Santos could reach Duran in time to prevent the 2-2. Eintracht would then fall apart at the death. A failed corner clearances enabled Bihalco and Matheus Silva to charge down the Qarabag right at 90+4. Centre-back Mustafazada (forward along with everyone else) tapped home the 3-2 winner.
Eintracht are officially eliminated from Europe.
Eintracht Frankfurt Player Ratings
Kaua Santos (4) – Arthur Theate (4), Robin Koch (3), Nnamdi Collins (3) – Nathaniel Brown (6), Hugo Larsson (5), Ellyes Skhiri (5), Rasmus Kristensen (4) – Ansgar Knauff (5), Ritsu Doan (6) Can Uzun (6)
Substitutes: Mario Götze (4), Fares Chaïbi (5), Jean-Manuel Bahoya (4), Alexander Staff (4), Oscar Højlund (-)
GGFN Player of the Match: Camilo Duran, Qarabag
The Columbia brace score earns the MOTM honors, even though the 23-year-old had something more resembling an average game. At least one could say that the Azerbaijani club representative played an above average match. The same can only be said of three Eintracht Frankfurt platers: Nathaniel Brown, Ritsu Doan, and Can Uzun. Interim head coach Dennis Schmitt saw fit to yank his two best performers at the same time on a double substitution in the 71st minute. This raises some questions. It’s highly doubtful that we’ll see a fourth interim head coach given a permanent appointment in this Bundesliga campaign.
Schmitt did not do well in his debut.
