Football – football festival in Frankfurt: The women of Eintracht against Bavaria

Laura Freiang is tired of only congratulating the opponents with Eintracht Frankfurt after a meeting with Bayern Munich. “Over the past few years, the games against Bavaria felt more narrower every time. We licked blood in the past games, we also want to decide the game for ourselves after 90 minutes, «says the 27-year-old.

Double home game

For the first time this season, Eintracht footballers are allowed to go to the large Frankfurt arena. For the top game of the Bundesliga between the second and league leader Bavaria, the venue still described as a forest stadium on this Saturday opens their goals-although on the same weekend the men of Eintracht also have a home game after their 1-1 in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League at Tottenham Hotspur, on Sunday against 1. FC Heidenheim.

More than 30,000 spectators are expected for women – that would be a record visit to a club game in the main metropolis. Previous records have been the 27,640 visitors of May 24, 2008 when the 1st FFC Frankfurt won the European Cup against the Swedish club Umea IK around the Brazilian world star Marta. At that time, FFC impresario Siegfried Dietrich had done everything to offer Birgit Prinz and Co. Dietrich, who was present on Saturday as a guest of honor, drove the merger of the most successful German women’s association with Eintracht five years ago so that the title can be played for titles again at the Frankfurt location.

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High demand

This season, after the first half of the season, the Frankfurt footballers seemed to have closed the gap to the top teams. But then they lost 1: 4 in the quarterfinals of the DFB Cup in Munich, in the Bundesliga at 1: 6 against VfL Wolfsburg, and then failed at SC Freiburg with a 2: 3 defeat. Isn’t the Eintracht yet ripe for the big throw? »Of course we saw after the autumn championship, which is basically possible. Now the situation is a little different. In the past games, there was a little hooked at one point or another, “explains the national player free of charge, but wanted to state:” If we were offered second place in the table in this phase of the season before the season, we would have liked to take it. It speaks for us that our claim is now so high. “

Only masters and runner -up come directly into the leagueapse of the Champions League expanded to 18 teams. The Bundesliga third has to play a qualification-and Frankfurt has recently failed twice. Coach Niko Arnautis no longer wants to talk about championship dreams. “That’s not what it is not necessarily possible, we want to play Europe next year, that is the primary goal.” The game against Bayern on a big stage would have earned the team: “As in the past, we want to contribute to our performance that it will be a festival.”

Open personnel issues

But in the long run, top players thirsted for titles: National goalkeeper Stina Johannes and Austria’s “footballer of the year” Barbara Dunst have already decided to switch to Wolfsburg or Munich. Further departures could follow, it is said. With Sophia Winkler, the only newcomer is for a long time: The hopeful goalkeeper of the SGS Essen suffered a cruciate ligament tear. In response to many open personnel issues, Arnautis calls the prime example of Laura Freight: In 2018 she came to Frankfurt as a relatively unknown college player from the USA and rose to one of the most popular footballers in Germany.

But now the game on Saturday counts. It may be true that Eintracht has more than the Munich women. But the master with his star cast has six points more on the account. And with a view to the relatively easy remaining program, even Munich coach Alexander Straus said: “Even if we lose, we will also be in a very good position for the last three games afterwards.”

However, the pursuer compliments the pursuer: “Frankfurt has a great team, great players who sometimes fly a little under the radar compared to us or Wolfsburg.” Besides: Laura Freiang, Geraldine Reuteler, Nicole Anyomi, Elisa Sense and Lisanne Grawe. At least free gear no longer flies so deep, the best Bundesliga scorer is on everyone’s lips after her magic goal for the national team in the 6-1 against Scotland. The 27-year-old has promised a repetition. “I generally like to play with the hoe, not always to the delight of the trainer,” she said and laughed.