Eintracht Frankfurt played well against FC Barcelona and scored significantly more shots on goal. In the end, however, there is a draw, the winner of the second leg at Camp Nou moves into the semi-finals of the Europa League. Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp has at least one wish for how this game should go.
“We won’t prepare for a penalty shoot-out because we want to play in Barcelona to go straight through.” Kevin Trapp makes an announcement. The Eintracht Frankfurt keeper was full of self-confidence after the quarter-final first leg in the Europa League against FC Barcelona. His answer to the question during the press conference if he was specifically focused on next Thursday’s second leg (9 p.m. on RTL+ and in the ntv.de live ticker) would prepare accordingly.
The 31-year-old captain can rightly be confident. Frankfurt played furiously against Barcelona. Even victory would have been possible, he was not the only one to state. “It’s probably a bit crazy,” he classified this claim. But: “We really made an outstanding game.” Victory now has to come in the second leg. If push comes to shove, then it’s also a penalty shoot-out. But Trapp is betting that his teammates will fix it beforehand.
To do this, they must continue to “play boldly and quickly forward”, as coach Oliver Glasner praised on Thursday evening. “We’re in a good starting position,” Trapp made clear. The away goal rule has been abolished, which benefits Eintracht.
Sow negligently leaves
But in order to score more goals than Barcelona, Eintracht lacked one thing in the first leg: the conversion of chances. Of 16 shots on goal, only Ansgar Knauff’s (48th) went into Marc-André ter Stegen’s goal. Not enough to win as Ferran Torres equalized Barça to make it 1-1 barely 18 minutes later. And that, although Barça gave only seven shots on goal.
Although the later goalscorer made a powerful start after just 130 seconds, Trapp repelled the Spaniard’s shot from a good 20 meters into the left corner with a remarkable flight including reaching over with his right hand. Immediately afterwards, however, the odds tilted. In the 5th minute, Daichi Kamada passed the baseline into the backcourt from the left, but Knauff’s shot was deflected to a corner. Djibril Sow missed an even bigger chance just a minute later: Jesper Lindström had come through on the right and put the penalty spot on, but Sow shot just wide of the goal from a free stand. So it went on for Eintracht. Sometimes Gavi cleared the corner, sometimes ter Stegen caught the ball.
In the 38th minute, referee Jovanovic awarded Frankfurt a penalty. But Sergio Busquets had touched the ball before hitting and fouling Rafael Borré, according to the video referee. This chance to score only came about because Filip Kostic had once again put ter Stegen under pressure. The Barça keeper was able to prevent the goal, but only deflected the ball forward, where Borré came to him. A lot of pressure on the opponent’s goal, but too little return.
“We are satisfied with the result”
Accordingly, Barcelona coach Xavi also said: “We are satisfied with the result, but we cannot be satisfied with the game.” Because Barça had more possession of the ball, but didn’t know what to do with it this time. Unlike Filip Kostic or Lindström, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was so strong recently, only had one shot on goal and was otherwise largely eliminated by Eintracht’s defense around Martin Hinteregger.
The hosts, on the other hand, came through again and again. The 1-0 lead by Knauff after a Frankfurt corner that was not properly cleared by Clément Lenglet (48th) almost made it 2-0. But here, too, the construction site: the exploitation of chances. After a low ball in the direction of the penalty spot from Kostic, who had played through to the baseline on the left, Lindström fired directly with his left instep, but fired a few centimeters over the left corner (50′).
Xavi praised Frankfurt for their “very good” counterattack. His colleague Glasner was also satisfied with the way his team was able to free themselves time and again from Barça’s possession game. “If you have long distances, 50-meter sprints, it hurts everyone.” One likes to run the 50 meters forward, but not backwards.
Xavi emphasized that anyone who underestimated unity revealed “a lack of respect”. The club is not in the quarter-finals of the Europa League for nothing. Like Trapp, however, he claimed victory in the second leg. “We need the fans”, at the Camp Nou his team will play a completely different game. It will be aimed at just as much possession. But with more penetrating power of the offensive.
This is exactly what Trapp expects from his teammates. Because he doesn’t want to experience a penalty shoot-out. Win beforehand is the motto. Then there would be a place in the semi-finals at the end. There it would be against West Ham United or Olympique Lyon, who also separated 1-1 in the first leg. “It’s important to always remain humble,” said Glasner. “We had them on the brink of defeat today. We’re incredibly happy.” That doesn’t mean its pros aren’t hungry for more, though.