David Abraham says "Adiós": Comebacker Jovic shoots Schalke twice

Sunday 17th January 2021

David Abraham says "Adiós"
Comebacker Jovic shoots Schalke twice

Luka Jovic, just returned to Eintracht Frankfurt, was on the pitch for less than ten minutes when he scored the winning goal against Schalke 04. The Revierklub can count on youngster Matthew Hoppe again after the first three for almost a year, but not start a winning streak.

The spirit of optimism at the deeply plunged Bundesliga soccer club Schalke 04 vanished only a week after the relieving end of the horror series. The Royal Blues fell back to the bottom of the table with the 1: 3 (1: 1) at Eintracht Frankfurt and the point win by FSV Mainz 05. Eintracht returnee Luka Jovic advanced to the acclaimed match winner for the Hessians after being substituted on the comeback.

The hopes in Gelsenkirchen are now also on the approaching return of striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The next hit from shooting star Matthew Hoppe (29th) was not enough for Schalke. Scorers Andre Silva (28th) and Jovic (72nd, 90th + 1) scored for the Frankfurt team, where captain David Abraham played the last game of his career. After their fourth league success, Eintracht is right in the middle of the race for the European Cup ranks.

The still highly esteemed Huntelaar is likely to return from Ajax Amsterdam to Gelsenkirchen – there he should protect Schalke from relegation with his goals. After Sead Kolasinac, the 37-year-old would be the next player with a royal blue heart to support the club in dire need. Right-back Rafinha could be followed by another.

Jovic comes and hits

The guests started in Frankfurt without Huntelaar, but with almost the same team that slipped past the Tasmania record a week ago with their win against TSG Hoffenheim (4-0). Coach Christian Gross only brought Benito Raman into the starting line-up for the injured Alessandro Schöpf. But the momentum from the previous week was initially nothing to see. Schalke revealed large gaps on the defensive, found hardly any means against the attack-like attacks of the Frankfurters and was lucky with Aymen Barkok (7th) and Martin Hinteregger (24th). Only Silva punished the weak start.

Hoppe, of all people, who had been completely in the air until then, benefited from Hinteregger's mistake in direct return after his three-pack the previous week and tunnelled the hesitant Kevin Trapp. Then the big eleven were safer and had goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann, who prevented the renewed deficit shortly before the break with a huge act against Erik Durm (42nd).

After the break, Frankfurt remained the game-determining team. Eintracht coach Adi Hütter had to replace the ailing Hinteregger and only brought offensive man Ajdin Hrustic, who missed a good opportunity (55th). With the much-noticed substitution of Jovic, who is on loan from Real Madrid until the end of the season, Hütter increased the pressure again in the 62nd minute – with success.