Jonathan Burkardt brace helps Eintracht Frankfurt edge Cologne in seven-goal thriller
Jonathan Burkardt's second-half brace proved enough for Eintracht Frankfurt, who survived a late Cologne fightback to claim a scintillating win 4-3 victory in the Cathedral City on Saturday evening.
Cologne 3-4 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 1-0 Kamiński 4’ (assist: Ache), 1-1 Theate 39‘ (assist: Chaïbi), 1-2 Dahoud 45‘+6, 1-3 Burkardt 60‘ (assist: Dōan), 1-4 Burkardt 63’ (assist: Knauff), 2-4 Bülter 83’, 3-4 Waldschmidt 90’+4 (assist: S. El Mala)
Enjoying a recent turnaround of form, the visitors from Frankfurt arrived at the RheinEnergieStadion on a four-match unbeaten run, having scored an impressive 23 goals in their opening 10 fixtures.
Early advantage
The home side stunned Frankfurt with an early breakthrough after just four minutes. Dominique Heintz launched a long ball from the back which found Ragnar Ache. The striker rounded the onrushing Michael Zetterer and pulled the ball back for Jakub Kamiński, who calmly finished into the empty net.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside against Ache but was awarded after a VAR review. It was Kamiński's fifth league goal of the season – already a personal Bundesliga record for the Polish winger.
Frankfurt fight back
Despite falling behind, the visitors dominated possession and eventually found an equaliser in the 39th minute. Farès Chaïbi curled in an inviting corner from the left, and Arthur Theate rose at the near post to flick a header over Schwäbe and into the far corner for his first Bundesliga goal.
Eintracht's pressure continued, and deep into first-half stoppage time they took the lead. After Chaïbi's initial effort was saved by Schwäbe, Mahmoud Dahoud was on hand to fire home the rebound with a powerful finish from the edge of the box.
Burkardt's devastating double
The second half saw Frankfurt take complete control as Burkardt struck twice in four minutes to seemingly put the match beyond Cologne.
For his first goal in the 59th minute, the forward brilliantly launched the move himself with a raking diagonal pass to Ritsu Dōan on the right wing. The Japanese international sped to the byline before cutting back for Burkardt, who had continued his run into the box and finished with a neat first-time effort.
Just four minutes later, the 25-year-old struck again. Ansgar Knauff played him through on goal, and the striker showed composure to sit down Kristoffer Lund before slotting past Schwäbe to make it 4-1.
Late drama
With Frankfurt seemingly cruising to victory, Cologne manager Lukas Kwasniok turned to his bench and his substitutes injected new life into the contest.
In the 83rd minute, Marius Bülter, who had replaced Ache just seven minutes earlier, reduced the deficit with a cool finish from inside the box.
Another substitute, Saïd El Mala, then struck the post in stoppage time before providing the assist for Luca Waldschmidt to head home Cologne's third with just minutes remaining. Despite a frantic finish, Frankfurt held on to secure all three points, maintaining their recent unbeaten run and climbing to sixth in the table.
Man of the Match: Burkardt
The Frankfurt forward was the game's decisive figure, scoring twice in four second-half minutes to put his team in control at 4-1.
Burkardt's all-round performance was exceptional – he not only finished clinically but also created his first goal by launching the move with a brilliant diagonal pass to Dōan.
His intelligent movement and composure in front of goal proved too much for Cologne's defence. With eight goals this season already, Burkardt has established himself as Frankfurt's primary attacking threat, and his two strikes in the Cathedral City ultimately made the difference in this thrilling encounter.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Cologne 1.3 - Frankfurt 2.31
Fastest player: Knauff (Frankfurt), 34.29 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Theate (Frankfurt), 8.62 per cent
Most pressed player: Burkardt (Frankfurt), 17 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Schwäbe (Cologne), 4.51
Fantasy Heroes: Burkardt (Frankfurt, 420 points), Theate (Frankfurt, 234 points), Dahoud (Frankfurt, 229 points)
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