The youngster could hardly believe his luck.

"I enjoy every minute," said Diant Ramaj.

It was not foreseeable that 90 more would be added in the middle of the week.

Completely unexpectedly, the young German-Kosovar, just 21 years old, had another baptism of fire in a first-class environment.

Once before, almost exactly a year ago at the away game in Augsburg, Ramaj had to help out again for Eintracht.

The result then was the same as it is now in Freiburg: The substitute kept what his Frankfurt superiors had promised of him.

"He did very well," praised sporting director Markus Krösche.

"He radiated calm and sovereignty, hats off."

Ralph Weitbrecht

sports editor.

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Came into goal twice out of necessity because top dog Kevin Trapp had to pass.

Helped twice to bring home a 1:1.

"It's good that we didn't lose," said Ramaj in the catacombs of the sold-out Freiburg stadium.

“I am satisfied with my performance.

I didn't know until relatively late that I was going to play - at dinner before the game." That was the moment when coach Oliver Glasner also informed the team about Ramaj's commitment - and Trapp, who had been on the bus trip to Freiburg in the morning , sent back home to cure the cold.

For Ramaj, the surprising starting eleven was further proof that he still has a lot to do on his planned future path in Frankfurt.

By mid-2027 he had a contractual agreement to be a goaltender on the go.

It is undisputed that Trapp is the absolute top player in Eintracht and should be between the posts again this Saturday in Munich.

The fourth in the first, Eintracht in Bayern: For the first-class southwest classic, the Glasner team needs a significant increase in performance compared to the Freiburg game.

Sebastian Rode more than agrees that Eintracht is actually fourth in the table after 17 games in the first half of the season.

The captain, who immediately ensured more calm and order in Eintracht's game after being brought on in the middle of the second half in Freiburg, said after half-time in Bundesliga business: "We can be proud of our first half of the season."

One of the reasons for the proud Rode: the rising star of the year 2022. That is Randal Kolo Muani.

The man who goes about his work with reliable precision in the new year and scored in Freiburg (42nd minute of the game).

The 1-1 draw at Sportclub Freiburg was pretty much the greatest feeling the team could achieve on Wednesday evening.

Krösche later said in the interview zone of the packed Freiburg stadium what probably all 34,700 viewers of this supposed top game had seen: "We didn't play well." The manager spoke of "little verticality.

We played back a lot, were too slow, didn't have many levels and therefore hardly created any chances.” Kolo Muani's direct goal was the only real chance of stature.

Mario Götze didn't develop as usual against committed Freiburgers who were strong at home, and Daichi Kamada, the other creative free spirit in the Eintracht team, gave no impetus at all on this cold evening.

So coach Glasner was most happy about "the fact that we took the lead with the only really nice move".

Kolo Muani convinced in this scene with assertiveness, the will to assert the ball and decisiveness.

His low shot had to go into the right half of the goal.

And that's exactly what the French World Cup runners-up did.

With all the playful shortcomings that Eintracht revealed at the sports club, the Frankfurt football coach also highlighted a positive aspect.

“Diant always stood where the ball went.

He anticipated well.

That impresses me – also given the fact that he hasn't played for a long time and today we had perhaps the youngest defense including goalkeepers in the Bundesliga."

While Ramaj is the man for emergencies and tries to "take everything with him", Kolo Muani remains the man on whose penetrating power Eintracht will continue to build.

"The season has gone great for me so far," said the 24-year-old attacker.

“But I can still improve in many areas.

I learn something new every day.” For example: In the fight for Europe, Eintracht has to play better than in Freiburg.