Moussa Diaby bagged a brace as Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Cup second round. - © Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
Moussa Diaby bagged a brace as Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Cup second round. - © Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
bundesliga

Moussa Diaby double helps Bayer Leverkusen come from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in DFB Cup second round

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A Moussa Diaby brace, as well as goals from Lucas Alario and Edmond Tapsoba, saw Bayer Leverkusen come from behind against Eintracht Frankfurt in the second round of the DFB Cup.

Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Younes (6'), 1-1 Alario (pen, 27'), 2-1 Tapsoba (49'), 3-1 Diaby (67'), 4-1 Diaby (87')
Red card: Tah (73')

When these sides met 10 days ago in the Bundesliga, it was Leverkusen who took an early lead in Frankfurt, but roles were reversed this time as Amin Younes – the scorer of Eintracht’s equaliser that day – put the visitors ahead with only six minutes played after Andre Silva flicked on Daichi Kamada’s ball into the box. Bayer took a few minutes to get going but were handed a route back into the tie when Erik Durm handled Leon Bailey’s cross in the box. Alario stepped up and converted to send last season’s beaten finalists into the break level.

In yet another parallel to that recent meeting, the home side again came from behind to lead through Tapsoba – this time in the right net for his first Leverkusen goal, heading a Kerem Demirbay free-kick back across Kevin Trapp. There was finally daylight between the teams when Bayer won the ball back and Nadiem Amiri broke, playing Diaby in on goal, and the Frenchmen finished with aplomb from a narrowing angle. However, Leverkusen had to see out the final portion of the game with 10 men after Jonathan Tah was sent off for a challenge as last man on Silva. They did more than that as Diaby made it four with a clinical solo break in the dying minutes. Leverkusen will now face Rot-Weiss Essen in the round of 16 on 2/3 February.

Match stats

  • Younes’ goal was Frankfurt’s quickest of the season at six minutes. It was his first in the DFB Cup and second for Eintracht after scoring against Leverkusen 10 days ago.
  • Silva has been directly involved in all three of Frankfurt’s cup goals this season (1 goal, 2 assists).
  • Alario is Leverkusen’s top scorer this season with 12 goals.
  • Demirbay is the leading provider in this season’s DFB Cup with four assists. It’s the fifth time he’s registered two assists in a single game, and the third time in the DFB Cup.
  • Tah’s red card was the second of his career. The first came against Bayern Munich in November 2019.
  • Diaby’s brace was his first for Leverkusen.

Line-ups

Leverkusen: Hradecky - L. Bender (c) (Jedvaj 89'), Tah, Tapsoba, Wendell - Amiri (Aranguiz 81'), Baumgartlinger, Demirbay - Bailey, Alario (Dragovic 75'), Diaby
Unused subs: Lomb, Schick, Sinkgraven, Onur, Gedikli, Türkmen
Out: Arias (ankle), Bellarabi (hand), S. Bender (knee), Palacios (back), Paulinho (knee), Weiser (thigh)
Coach: Peter Bosz

Frankfurt: Trapp - Tuta (Chandler 79'), Hinteregger, N'Dicka - Durm (Toure 70'), Ilsanker, Rode (c), Younes (Zuber 29') - Kamada (Hrustic 70'), Barkok (Kohr 70') - Silva
Unused subs: Schubert, Abraham, Hasebe, Da Costa
Out: Ache (hamstring), Kostic (suspended), Sow (personal reasons), Willems (match fitness)
Coach: Adi Hütter

As it happened

FULL-TIME!

Leverkusen are through to the round of 16 and will face Rot-Weiss Essen.

90' ADDED TIME

Four minutes of additional time.

89' BAYER CHANGE

Captain Lars Bender hands the armband over to Aranguiz as he makes way for Tin Jedvaj.

87' GOAL FOR LEVERKUSEN

That should be that for the home side. They counter with Diaby starting inside his own half. He's far too quick for anyone and only has Trapp to beat. The goalkeeper gets a hand to it but can't keep it out.

85' HRUSTIC OVER

The Australian summer signing cuts inside on his left foot and lets fly. Well over the bar and he's annoyed with himself.

83' BENDER BOOKED

A yellow for the Leverkusen captain for some time wasting.

81' LEVERKUSEN CHANGE

A second for the hosts as Nadiem Amiri makes way for returning captain Charles Aranguiz.

79' FINAL FRANKFURT SWITCH

Fifth and final throw of the dice by Hütter as Timmy Chandler comes on for Tuta. It means no final DFB Cup appearance for captain David Abraham.

78' SILVA OFFSIDE

The striker is in behind but denied by Hradecky. And then the flag goes up for offside.

75' LEVERKUSEN CHANGE

Peter Bosz reacts to the red card by bringing on defender Aleksandar Dragovic for striker Lucas Alario.

73' RED CARD

Is there another twist in this game? Tah trips Silva on the edge of the box as he was running through and the Germany international is shown a straight red. Leverkusen will have to see out the remaining 20 minutes or so with 10 men.

70' TRIPLE CHANGE

Adi Hütter decides it's time to react. He makes three substitutions as Ajdin Hrustic, Dominik Kohr and Almamy Toure replace Daichi Kamada, Erik Durm and Aymen Barkok.

67' GOAL FOR LEVERKUSEN

A cushion for the hosts as Frankfurt give away possession and Amiri races away, driving inside from the left before laying it right to Diaby, who fires across Trapp to make it 3-1.

62' HINTI HITS IT

Somewhat surprisingly it's Hinteregger who takes the free-kick. Hradecky had been screaming at his wall but the ball still goes through them. The goalkeeper gets down to smother, though.

61' TAPSOBA BOOKED

The goalscorer catches Silva on the ankle on the edge of the box and is shown yellow.

55' BAILEY!

A cracker from the Jamaican from 20 yards, but Trapp is equal to it diving to his left.

50' REVENGE FOR TAPSOBA

That goal will be doubly sweet for the defender. It's his first for Leverkusen and goes some way to making amends for his own goal that condemned Bayer to a 2-1 defeat in Frankfurt 10 days ago.

49' GOAL FOR LEVERKUSEN

It's too easy for the hosts and they take the lead for the first time tonight. Demirbay's free-kick from the left is deep and Tapsoba completely unmarked as he powers his header back across Trapp and in. A question of offside, but there's no VAR to check it and the goal stands.

46' FRONT FOOT FRANKFURT

It's Eintracht who've come out looking livelier and force two early saves out of former Frankfurt keeper Hradecky from Barkok and then Durm.

46' KICK-OFF!

Away we go again for the second half. No changes for either side, with Zuber for Younes the only substitution so far.

HALF-TIME!

It's 1-1 at the break at the BayArena after Lucas Alario's penalty cancelled out Amin Younes' early opener for the visitors.

45' ADDED TIME

Two minutes of it shown as Silva and Hradecky both go up for a high ball in the Leverkusen box. It's a huge leap from the striker - and a big fall for the goalkeeper, who takes a minute to get back to his feet.

42' HINTI INTO THE BOOK

First card of the game goes to Martin Hinteregger for a shove on Diaby,

41' WENDELL!

The Leverkusen left-back has a crack from 20 yards and forces Trapp to turn the ball around his right-hand post. Lars Bender then heads the corner without much power at the goalkeeper.

35' QUICK REMINDER

There is no VAR in use at this stage of the DFB Cup.

30' CLINICAL ALARIO

Alario's goal is the first penalty Leverkusen have scored in the cup since August 2018, which he also netted. The Argentine has also claimed both of Bayer's goals from 12 yards in the Bundesliga this season.

29' EARLY CHANGE

Frankfurt are forced into an early substitution. Goalscorer Younes had gone down in pain earlier and is now replaced by Steven Zuber.

27' GOAL FOR LEVERKUSEN!

Absolutely no mistake from Bayer's top scorer and Alario fires past Trapp to level the score.

26' PENALTY TO LEVERKUSEN

Durm is penalised for blocking Bailey's cross with his hand and referee Dingert points to the spot.

22' DOUBLE CHANCE

Younes' cross/shot from the left is parried out by Hradecky only to Kamada, but he puts his rebound at the goalkeeper. The Finn has been a bit busier than he'd have hoped so far.

16' BAILEY TRIES IT

A long ball by the hosts, which Trapp begins to come for before realising he's got no chance and backpedals. Bailey spots he's off his line and goes for goal wide on the left, but only picks out the retreating goalkeeper.

14' SILVA IN ON GOAL

The Portugal international is in behind after Kamada's nod down and only has Hradecky to beat, but can't beat the Leverkusen goalkeeper.

12' AMIRI CLOSE

Bayer look to hit back immediately as Diaby cuts back from the right and into the path of Amiri, but Trapp reads it well and saves low.

9' SUPER SILVA

Andre Silva's assist means he's now been directly involved in all three of Frankfurt's cup goals this season, having also scored one and set up Bas Dost in the first round.

6' GOAL FOR FRANKFURT!

It's a brilliant start for the visitors. They win the ball back in midfield and break forward. Durm finds Kamada on the left, who pings it low into the middle. Silva gets a foot to it and into the path of Younes, who blasts past Hradecky. A first DFB Cup goal for the Napoli loanee, who scored in this fixture 10 days ago.

4' YOUNES FLICK

Leverkusen are passing the ball around in the early stages but it's Frankfurt with the first (half) chance as Durm crosses low and Younes backheels but wide.

KICK-OFF!

We're underway in this second-round tie.

MOMENTS AWAY

Here come the sides at the BayArena...

JOVIC RETURN?

Rumours had been swirling that Luka Jovic is set for a return to Frankfurt from Real Madrid. Well, Eintracht board member Fredi Bobic has just confirmed on TV that the Serbian will be coming back on loan until the end of the season. It's only the formalities that need to be completed.

CUP PEDIGREE

As mentioned, these clubs have appeared in 12 DFB Cup finals. Frankfurt are the more successful of the two sides by some way, lifting the trophy five times – the third most of any club after Bayern and Werder Bremen – from eight finals The most recent triumph was only in 2018 when they beat Bayern 3-1 under Niko Kovac, having narrowly lost 2-1 the previous year to Dortmund.

As for Leverkusen, they were beaten finalists last season, going down 4-2 to the eventual treble winners from Munich. It means they’ve lost their last three trips to Berlin (also 2008/09 and 2001/02), with their only DFB Cup honour coming in 1992/93 when they beat the Hertha Berlin reserves 1-0.

QUICK REUNION

The last six games between Leverkusen and Frankfurt have seen the home team win each time. The most recent of those was only 10 days ago as they met at Deutsche Bank Park in their opening match of 2021. An outrageous goal from Nadiem Amiri gave Bayer an early lead, but an Amine Younes reply and Edmond Tapsoba own goal saw Eintracht turn things around and claim the spoils.

Watch: Frankfurt kicked off 2021 with a 2-1 win over Leverkusen

RARE CUP ENCOUNTER

Rather surprisingly for two giants of German football who have faced each other on 72 occasions and have 12 DFB Cup final appearances between them, this is only their second meeting in this competition. The sole previous encounter saw Leverkusen win 3-0 in Frankfurt in the semi-finals on their way to lifting the trophy for the only time in 1992/93.

HOW WE GOT HERE

As with everything right now, we have to be a little flexible. This game was originally due to take place a few days before Christmas with the rest of the second-round ties, but was pushed back at Leverkusen’s request due to a busy schedule – as was the case with tomorrow’s clash with Holstein Kiel and Bayern Munich.

In the first round, Leverkusen ran out comfortable 7-0 winners against minnows Eintracht Norderstedt, with six different players on the scoresheet. As for Frankfurt, they were 2-1 victors at 1860 Munich thanks to strikes from Silva and Bas Dost.

With the draw for the round of 16 having already been made, both sides know they will be away at Rot-Weiss Essen if they win tonight.

TEAM NEWS

Peter Bosz makes three changes from his side that drew 1-1 with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Lars Bender and Wendell come in at full-back in place of Aleksandar Dragovic and Daley Sinkgraven, while Lucas Alario replaces Patrik Schick at centre-forward.

Adi Hütter makes four changes from his team that started the 2-0 derby win at Mainz on Saturday. Two are enforced, with Filip Kostic suspended in the cup and Djibril Sow remaining at home for the birth of his child. Veterans David Abraham and Makoto Hasebe drop to the bench. In come Aymen Barkok, Stefan Ilsanker, Sebastian Rode and Tuta. It could well be a back four, but Frankfurt tend to stick with a three.