No Marmoush, no problem: Ekitiké fires Frankfurt to verge of Champions League | Andy Brassell
Dino Toppmöller’s side looked spent after they sold their top scorer but have a fine replacement, as Leipzig found out If they were on the verge of something special, the man in charge was hiding it well. It was not, insisted Dino Toppmöller, a final. Nor a playoff. Nor was it even the most important match of the season. All it was, according to the Eintracht Frankfurt coach when he spoke at his press conference the day before the game, was quite simply: “Matchday 31.” By the end, as Saturday night drew in, it was definitely Saturday night. It turned out that Toppmöller’s less-is-more approach suited his team perfectly. They had thrashed RB Leipzig, their significantly more moneyed rivals for a Champions League spot, and were now six points clear of their fifth-placed opposition with just three games left, staring a return to the promised land square in the eyes. Eintracht’s jubilant players celebrated as they deserved to after such an effort, though Toppmöller told Sky that “they had to turn [the music] off for a minute so I could say a few things.” Even he, though, was prepared to admit it is now close. “We’ve taken a huge step,” he continued, “[though] the job isn’t finished yet.” Continue reading...
