The names are similar, but the contrast could hardly be greater.

For Eintracht Frankfurt, it takes just three days to get from the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki to the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

After the appearance on Wednesday evening on the glittering stage of the European Supercup against Real Madrid, everyday Bundesliga life at Hertha BSC follows on Saturday (3.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) – or to put it another way: wannabe Big City Club instead of a real world club.

Eintracht will soon experience similarly tough cuts more often.

Tobias Rabe

Responsible editor for Sport Online.

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If yesterday it was still about a trophy that the Spaniards can put in the already bulging trophy cabinet after the 2-0 win, the day after tomorrow there are three points at stake, which, however, are more groundbreaking for the near future of Frankfurt than the result of this Supercup .

Eintracht has to get used to the number of strokes, even if coach Oliver Glasner is already struggling a little with the next appointment.

"We would have preferred a different start because we represented the German Bundesliga today.

Now we have to do it in Berlin on Saturday when it's over 30 degrees," he complained.

"We'll check that off right now"

It's going to be a tough balancing act, both physically and mentally.

During the week, the anthem of the globally acclaimed Champions League sounds, at the weekend opponents with often far less well-known names await in the tough national competition.

The mixture makes the situation dangerous, especially since there is hardly any time to pause from the beginning of September to mid-November.

Because of the football World Cup in Qatar in winter, things are happening in quick succession from now on.

Sports director Markus Krösche set the new pace in Helsinki: "We'll tick that off immediately."

Most Frankfurters didn't want to let go of the moment late on Wednesday evening, just like the more than 10,000 Eintracht fans who had traveled to Helsinki and stayed in the stadium despite the defeat long after the game was over.

Because the duel with the Champions League winner at the beginning of the new season was also the reward for the Europa League winner's splendid success on the trip last season with the crowning conclusion in Seville.

“You can see how proud the fans are of us.

It's a great feeling," said goalkeeper Kevin Trapp when looking at the grandstand at DAZN.

The view of the lawn beforehand brought not only a feeling, but also a realization that Krösche expressed: "Real was a size too big and is not our standard." At least Eintracht succeeded, unlike on Friday at the Bundesliga opener at 1: 6 against FC Bayern, this time the start of the game.

It was 5-0 against Bayern Munich at half-time, but Frankfurt were now behind at half-time thanks to a goal by former Bayern player David Alaba (37 minutes), but they were anything but without a chance.

They just didn't use their opportunities.

"We improved compared to the Bayern game," said coach Glasner.

"We've invested a lot, but you have to take advantage of the few chances you have against teams at this level." He was thinking primarily of Daichi Kamada's shot, which was denied by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (14').

“The parade was a crucial situation.

A 1-0 lead would have helped us," said Glasner.

So things took a different turn.

Karim Benzema finally decided the game in Real's favor with his goal in the second half (65').

The royals showed the high level of the premier class, in which Eintracht will premiere at the beginning of September.

The draw will take place on August 25th.

The Frankfurters, who came into the Champions League due to their triumph in the Europa League, will not meet the gold standard Real Madrid at first;

both teams are seeded in pot one.

FC Bayern, Paris, Porto, Manchester City, AC Milan and Amsterdam are also located there.

Well-known names and sporting heavyweights such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Juventus or FC Barcelona are possible.

While Krösche was thinking about Hertha, Glasner couldn't let go of Helsinki that easily on the mild Finnish summer evening.

"We saw that it wasn't enough for this level and this opponent," said the coach late at night.

"It really gnaws at me inside.

I have a hard time accepting something like that.

We have to develop the ambition to get a little closer." The Frankfurters have in any case earned the recognition of former national player Toni Kroos in the Supercup: "Eintracht has a team that can always be unpleasant."

However, so that the situation in the league does not become unpleasant in the long term, it is now important to collect points after the capital false start against FC Bayern.

The games in Berlin, against 1. FC Köln, at Werder Bremen and against Leipzig are waiting for things to get going on a weekly basis in Europe.

Because if things get stuck nationally, the international tasks can quickly become a burden.

Sports director Krösche is only too aware of this.

“Our benchmark is Hertha BSC and the Bundesliga.

That's what we need to focus on, that's what we need to be measured by.

Not to Real Madrid," he said.

Filip Kostic will probably observe all this from Italy.

Since his move to Juventus Turin is imminent, he was no longer in the Frankfurt squad in Helsinki.

"It's not final yet, we're in talks.

The signs are already pointing to farewell,” said Krösche.

Glasner expects a replacement by the end of the transfer phase in three weeks: "I'm assuming that we'll get external access.

Besides Christopher Lenz, we don't have a left foot for this position.

Something will happen here soon.” Also so that the Frankfurt balancing act does not end with a painful belly landing.