Frankfurt is in the cup final for the first time since 2018. In Stuttgart, Eintracht struggled for a long time, but then turned it up a notch. In the end it got confusing.
Eintracht Frankfurt can still win and can still hope to participate in the European Cup after the crash in the Bundesliga. Coach Oliver Glasner’s team made it through to the final of the DFB Cup with a hard-fought 3-2 (0-1) win at relegation candidates VfB Stuttgart and probably had their last chance to win in a duel with defending champions RB Leipzig on June 3 in Berlin yet to qualify for the Europa League.
A double strike by Evan Ndicka (51st) and Daichi Kamada (55th) as well as a penalty by Randal Kolo Muani (77th) gave the Europa League champion, who initially seemed dispassionate, a place in the ninth final of the DFB Cup.
Most recently, and for the fifth time, Frankfurt had won the golden trophy in 2018. For Eintracht, the semi-final victory was only the second in the last twelve competitive games. Tiago Tomas had put the initially much more snappy Stuttgart in the lead (19th). Substitute Enzo Millot (83rd) shortened. In the final phase, Borna Sosa saw yellow-red (86th).
That’s how the game went
The game was hard fought from the start, the many duels and nickels disturbed the flow of the game. The first good attack put VfB in the lead: after a long ball from Waldemar Anton, national player Josha Vagnoman won the running duel against Evan Ndicka, the ball landed on the return pass and Tomás shot it into the near corner. Eintracht goalkeeper Kevin Trapp had speculated on the long corner and had no chance.
The goal gave the home side a lot of momentum. After about half an hour, however, Stuttgart’s beefy defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was injured, and Dan-Axel Zagadou came on for the Greek. The hitherto harmless Frankfurt tried to capitalize on it and increased the pressure a little. But in terms of play, the Europa League winner from 2022 once again owed a lot. The Stuttgart team now increasingly relied on counterattacks via their fast offensive players, of whom Silas narrowly missed out on Trapp (35th).
In the second half, Eintracht coach Glasner brought in Aurélio Buta for captain Sebastian Rode, and he seemed to have given the right speech in the dressing room. The guests now played with much more conviction – and were rewarded with the double strike by Ndicka and Kamada. Glasner raised his fists on the sidelines, the relief was clearly visible.
Stuttgart, who met a Bundesliga club for the first time in the current competition, had to shift up a gear offensively. But after an hour, VfB’s second central defender, Anton, was injured and was unable to continue playing.
Heated final minutes after a controversial scene
Even after the third goal, which was preceded by a foul by VfB goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow on Kolo Muani in the penalty area, the hosts didn’t give up and still managed to get the goal back.
However, VfB was no longer awarded a possible hand penalty in injury time. After a potential handball by Frankfurt’s Buta, the referee watched the scene in slow motion in the seventh and eighth minute of added time. Ultimately, based on the pictures, he decided against a penalty – although Stuttgart protested loudly.
ARD expert Bastian Schweinsteiger was at a loss after the situation and said to moderator Lea Wagner: “Don’t ask me, please don’t ask me. There are referees who give penalties and those who don’t give penalties.”
Due to the situation, there was almost nine minutes of stoppage time. after the final whistle, players from both teams bumped into each other on the pitch, but were separated by teammates and supervisors.
