Enlarge image
Jens Petter Hauge scored late for victory
Photo: LOUIZA VRADI / REUTERS
The Bundesliga season has not yet gone according to plan for Eintracht Frankfurt, but at least in the Europa League, Oliver Glasner's team has recently been able to rely on exciting football evenings. The guest appearance at Olympiacos Piraeus was not one of them, but it was enough to win: In a tough game Frankfurt won the Greek champions late 2-1 (1-1). Youssef El-Arabi had given Olympiakos the lead (12th minute), Daichi Kamada equalized for Eintracht (17th). In stoppage time, Jens Petter Hauge scored the goal that secured Frankfurt early on into the knockout phase.
While the approximately 25,000 fans in the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus created the atmosphere as if a football festival was taking place on the lawn, a fighting game in the midfield actually developed.
None of the early goals had appeared, neither El-Arabi's lead from close range after asset Henry Onyekuru presented from the left wing (12th), nor Kamada's quick equalizer (17th).
The guests from Frankfurt in particular found it difficult to finish their attacks precisely.
Piraeus came closer to victory, the best chance was thwarted by Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp, who with a good reflex was able to parry the leg at the end of Georgios Masouras, who had been cleared by El-Arabi (36th).
Hauge redeems Frankfurt
Even after the break, the dynamics of the game did not change: Olympiakos had a slight advantage in a low-event game. Onyekuru shot just past the post of the Frankfurt goal from about 15 meters (57th), for Eintracht only substitute Jesper Lindstrøm brought a halfway dangerous finish on the goal of the Greeks (69th). Shortly before, Frankfurt's coach Glasner Gelb had seen him kicking the ball that had flown out of the way out of sheer dissatisfaction.
Shortly before the end of the game, Evan N'Dicka started dribbling from his own defense and carried the ball forward, with a bit of luck the ball came via Lindstrøm into the middle to Hauge.
The hit (90 + 1) - and sent Frankfurt at least in the intermediate round of the Europa League.
Should Eintracht be able to defend their lead in Group D, they can even jump straight into the round of 16.
