Setback before the “game of the century”: Eintracht Frankfurt suffered an unexpected setback in day-to-day business before the duel with FC Barcelona in the Europa League.
In front of a large crowd, the Bundesliga club did not get beyond a goalless draw against bottom team SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
The anticipation of the quarterfinals against the Spanish top club is clouded.
In front of 50,500 spectators, head coach Oliver Glasner's team lacked penetrating power against the passionately defending relegation candidates.
With 39 points, Frankfurt remains in ninth place.
Before the long-awaited first leg against Barcelona on Thursday (9 p.m./in the FAZ live ticker for the Europa League and on RTL), the Hessians can still hope for another year in international competition.
Despite winning the point, the guests from Franconia face direct relegation.
After only three wins from 28 games and only the second point in foreign stadiums, the cloverleaf is far behind in last place in the table.
With 16 points, the gap to the relegation place is already ten points.
Immediately after the kick-off, the Frankfurt Ultras ignited, dense clouds of smoke moved from the bulging home block under the stadium roof.
But there were no fireworks on the lawn.
Eintracht took control of the game and created first half chances.
Fürth was waiting for a counterattack.
After a quarter of an hour, the Fürth team appeared dangerous in front of Kevin Trapp for the first time.
But the national goalkeeper made a strong save against former Frankfurt player Branimir Hrgota.
The team of trainer Stefan Leitl was now happily involved, the home side could not think of much in the last third.
Before the game, Glasner had described the end of the season as "the best time of the year", and the Austrian coach now wanted to "reap what we sowed".
Under-21 national player Ansgar Knauff tested guest keeper Andreas Linde from a distance, then Jesper Lindström failed twice at the Swede.
After the change of sides, the game flattened out.
Eintracht kept struggling near the penalty area, but there were no compelling ideas.
Driver Filip Kostic also remained inconspicuous on his left side.
The long international break had left its mark on the Adlerträger's game.
There were inaccuracies, Fürth defended consistently.
The loud support from the ranks drove Frankfurt forward in the final phase.
But even if the pressure on the Fürth five-man chain increased noticeably, the decisive breakthrough did not succeed before the climax against Barcelona, which Eintracht's supervisory board chairman Philipp Holzer dubbed in the Frankfurter Rundschau as the "game of the century".
Shortly before the end there were concerns about Fürth's Marco Meyerhöfer, who was injured and carried off the field by paramedics.