FRANKFURT: Eintracht Frankfurt’s Bundesliga top scorer Omar Marmoush scored twice, with his stoppage time equaliser snatching a 3-3 home draw against leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday.
Marmoush, who had brought the sides level at 1-1 in the first half, completed a quick break in added time to bag the last-gasp goal that salvaged a point and made it three matches without a win in all competitions for the Bavarians.
Bayern now have 14 points and lead the standings on goal difference ahead of RB Leipzig, who were 1-0 winners at Heidenheim earlier on Sunday. Eintracht are third on 13.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany will be relieved to go into the international break still top but must quickly figure out how his team got caught three times on the break, with Eintracht’s late equaliser being their best chance in the second half.
“This was a tough game against a team that was second in the Bundesliga [before the match],” Kompany told a press conference.
“When I look how the team worked and ran for each other it is a positive performance. We are all judged by results but my job is to see how we perform against some of the top teams in Germany and continue to improve. If we continue like this we will have a lot of wins.”
Bayern, desperate to bounce back from their midweek Champions League loss at Aston Villa and last week’s Bundesliga draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen, went ahead when Kim Min-jae slotted in after a quarter of an hour following a strong start.
They should have had at least a couple of goals in that period but their joy was short lived, with Marmoush completing a lightning-quick break with a fine low shot past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to level seven minutes later.
The Egypt forward, who has eight goals in six league games so far, then delivered a perfectly timed 35th minute assist in another counter-attack for Hugo Ekitike to score.
Bayern launched their own comeback three minutes later and levelled through Dayot Upamecano’s shot from close range after a goalmouth scramble.
The visitors went back in front through Michael Olise’s superb left-footed strike in the 53rd before Marmoush ensured a share of the points, racing through and grabbing the equaliser.
Earlier, Leipzig had out their noses in front at the top of the table with victory in Heidenheim. Ikoma Openda scored the only goal just before the hour mark.
The 19-year-old Norwegian Antonio Nusa was the architect, spotting Openda’s run with a perfect pass which Openda took in his stride before firing in at the near post.
In the final Bundesliga game before the international break, VfB Stuttgart substitute Ermedin Demirovic scored a 100th minute equaliser to deny Hoffenheim — but the dropped points keep Stuttgart out of the top six.
French defender Valentin Gendrey had given Hoffenheim the lead in the final minute of the first half but the visitors couldn’t hang on for a much-needed three points, with Demirovic’s late penalty saved but the Bosnian scored on the rebound.
Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2024
