And suddenly it seems to be working again at Eintracht.

Coach Oliver Glasner is proud that his team has now won the third competitive game in a row.

Things could have gone very differently against VfL Bochum, who deservedly defeated 2-1 in their core Bundesliga business on Sunday after being 1-0 down at the break.

Namely, if in the 24th minute the second goal would have been conceded.

Ralph Weitbrecht

sports editor.

  • Follow I follow

"We just have to make this 100% chance to make it 2-0," VfL coach Thomas Reis complained about the action in which Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp surpassed himself again and parried Takuma Asano's shot from close range.

A key scene of the entire game - in the end for both Bochum and Eintracht, who would have hit hard with a second goal.

"The fact that we fell behind when our opponents had the first chance was a hit after four home defeats in a row," said Glasner.

But he was able to rely on his team afterwards.

First Trapp's "Big Safe", as the coach called the famous rescue operation, then the furious race to catch up at the beginning of the second half with the two goals in the 46th (own goal Erhan Masovic) and 52nd (Daichi Kamada) minute: "We said during the break that we have to stay calm,” said the Eintracht coach about the successful turnaround.

For the Frankfurt soccer coach, one of the keys to success against the fast and strong Bochum team was “the good filling of the half-spaces.

That's exactly how the goals came in the second half."

New flexibility of unity

The man for these spaces comes from the Far East and is called Kamada.

As on Wednesday in the round of 16 first leg win at Real Betis in Seville, the sensitive Japanese was also the driving force behind the surprising passes from a wide variety of situations against Bochum.

The fact that he has now also scored in the Bundesliga - in the Europa League his quota of four goals in seven appearances is already outstanding - should now play into Eintracht's cards in the long final sprint of the league.

In his analysis, Markus Krösche focused on the newly gained flexibility.

He specifically mentioned Ansgar Knauff, who had just turned 20 at the beginning of the year.

The Dortmund player on loan approaches his stormy tasks with refreshing carelessness.

"We knew that he had speed and an offensive drive," said Eintracht's sporting director.

"With him we have become much more variable."

Ansgar Knauff together with Filip Kostic on the other outpost as well as the two attackers Rafael Borré and Jesper Lindström, who like to run: There has been harmony in this quartet for a few games, with the Dane Lindström once again showing a strong performance.

He paved the way for the all-important equalizer as it was his shot that Masovic deflected.

And he was also involved in the winning goal when Eintracht impressively managed to overturn the Bochum defense with a ball relay over four stations.

"The team showed what they're made of," said Krösche happily.

"We have rewarded ourselves for our efforts."

All eyes are now on this Thursday.

Second leg against Real Betis in the Europa League.

Again in front of 25,000 spectators?

Or maybe for the first time in a long time in front of a sold-out house?

"We are in constant dialogue with the authorities," said Krösche about Eintracht's efforts to reach full capacity as quickly as possible, "as they are in other stadiums, for example in Stuttgart, even before the so-called Freedom Day “.

And Eintracht doesn't really want to wait until the day when more corona restrictions are likely to be lifted.

Glasner said during the press conference on Sunday evening after the Bochum game: "I have high hopes for German politics.

Greetings to the ministerial office.”

The way to the quarter-finals of the Europa League seems to be ready after the first leg.

"That would be a huge sporting success," said sports director Krösche.

"We won the game at Betis with ease." With Lindström, without Sebastian Rode.

The captain couldn't play against VfL either.

A short-term abdominal muscle injury prevented his participation.

But Glasner is confident that Rode will be a first-class alternative by Thursday - and that the strained ligaments that Lindstrom sustained against Bochum will not prove to be a hindrance until then.

And if Glasner's highly praised three-man defense works flawlessly against the fifth-placed team in the Spanish league, it could really be something to make it into the last eight.

"The chain had outstanding duel statistics against VfL," said the Eintracht coach.

In addition: “After three games without a goal, we have now scored four, two and two goals.

These are all small pieces of the puzzle to become more consistent.”