Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 Cologne: Ebnoutalib Winner Ends Home Win Drought

Eintracht Frankfurt ended their wait for a home win this season as Younes Ebnoutalib’s late goal beat Cologne, six days after a heavy defeat at RB Leipzig.

Ebnoutalib scored in the 77th minute after Noëll Aséko’s pass to settle a tense Friday-night contest at the Deutsche Bank Park. It was Frankfurt’s first Bundesliga home win in more than seven months.

The result was badly needed. Adi Hütter’s side had lost 6-0 to Leipzig six days earlier. They also kept their first clean sheet of the campaign, which will please the manager as much as the goal.

Cologne had the first real chance, and it came almost immediately. Nnamdi Collins misjudged a long ball, and Cologne’s Bülter ran clear but lost the one-on-one with Noah Atubolu after 46 seconds. Frankfurt nearly hit back straight away, but Ebnoutalib failed to connect properly with a good chance in the third minute. There was no breakthrough before the break, and Cologne created the better chances in the first half, with Atubolu making strong saves on his 100th Bundesliga appearance.

Frankfurt were far sharper after the restart. Ebnoutalib headed a Keita Kosugi cross just wide, Lilian Brassier’s header was saved by Marvin Schwäbe, and Ayman Chaïbi also headed too centrally. Schwäbe held firm and Cologne kept their discipline, but the pressure told in the end.

The goal was well worked. Frankfurt won the ball high up the pitch, and substitute Aséko threaded a pass into Ebnoutalib’s path, and he finished from a tight angle. The scorer is a Frankfurt native, which made it all the more fitting. Hütter had called for a fighting local spirit, and Ebnoutalib delivered.

The numbers back up the result. Frankfurt’s expected goals total was 1.68 against Cologne’s 0.49. With eight points, Frankfurt move past Cologne in the table. For Cologne, it was a flat evening after promising early moments, and they leave Frankfurt with nothing despite their defensive effort.