Crucial win over Augsburg | OneFootball

Hugo Ekitiké’s first Eintracht goal (61’) and efforts from Farès Chaibi (55’) and Omar Marmoush (90’+5) helped the Eagles recover from 1-0 down to beat FC Augsburg 3-1 on Friday evening.

Augsburg, who started the game three points behind the sixth-placed Eagles in the standings, took an early lead through Ruben Vargas, but Dino Toppmöller’s side came roaring back in the second half to move six points clear of their closest pursuers in the race for Europe.

Five alterations

Toppmöller made five changes to the Eagles side that started the 3-0 defeat at VfB Stuttgart last time out. Fit-again Ellyes Skhiri and Mario Götze were reinstated along with Junior Dina Ebimbe, who was available once more following suspension. Philipp Max and Ekitiké also featured, with Makoto Hasebe, Hugo Larsson, Niels Nkounkou and Ansgar Knauff on the bench. Jean-Mattéo Bahoya missed out altogether with a minor injury. Before the game, a minute’s silence was held in memory of Eintracht and Germany legend Bernd Hölzenbein, who passed away on Monday aged 78.

Visitors strike first

Eintracht’s first dangerous attack of a tentative opening period almost resulted in the opening goal, Marmoush flashing a shot narrowly wide of the post following an intricate move. It was Augsburg who drew first blood moments later, however, as Vargas collected Ermedin Demirovic’s pass in his stride before firing high into the roof of the net. The Eagles almost responded immediately through Dina Ebimbe, but the Frenchman’s low strike was palmed away by Finn Dahmen in the Augsburg goal.

The home side continued to carve out opportunities as the half wore on but were unable to find a way past Dahmen, who watched Chaibi steer a close-range header over the crossbar before denying Aurélio Buta from distance. Augsburg remained a threat on the counter-attack, though, with Eintracht loanee Kristijan Jakic heading wide from a corner and Phillip Tietz nearly getting on the end of Arne Engels’ low cross at the far post.

Marmoush nearly restored parity in spectacular fashion on the stroke of half-time, his curling strike with the outside of his right boot flying inches wide of the upright.

Ekitiké off the mark

Eintracht started the second half with greater urgency and went close to equalising when Jeffrey Gouweleeuw deflected Buta’s goal-bound shot over the bar following a well-worked free-kick routine. The hosts did not have to wait long for an equaliser, though, as Dina Ebimbe played a neat one-two with Buta before teeing up Chaibi to slot home from point-blank range.

It was 2-1 just six minutes later. Marmoush skipped past several Augsburg defenders before feeding Ekitiké, who showed tremendous composure to work space for the shot and drill a low effort into the net via the inside of the far post. Dina Ebimbe sent a free header straight at Dahmen and Marmoush almost added a third from a Knauff delivery, but the Egyptian eventually put the result beyond doubt in the fifth minute of added time, racing clear and rolling the ball into an empty net after Dahmen had gone up for a late corner.