Augsburg secure dramatic comeback win against Eintracht Frankfurt
Augsburg scored two goals in as many minutes to overturn a 1-0 deficit before sensational strikes from Alexis Claude-Maurice’s and Fabian Rieder sent Manuel Baum’s charges to the Bundesliga summit with a 4-1 triumph against a winless Eintracht Frankfurt.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-4 Augsburg
Goals: 1-0 Burkardt 6’ (assist: Ebnoutalib), 1-1 Ibrahimović 46’ (assist: Wolf), 1-2 Fellhauer 47’, 1-3 Claude-Maurice 65’ (assist: Massengo), 1-4 Rieder 89’
Frankfurt made three changes to the side that drew at Union Berlin, with Lilian Brassier making his Bundesliga debut alongside Mario Götze and Ritsu Dōan returning to the starting XI.
Meanwhile, Augsburg, fresh from their opening-day win over Schalke, handed Arijon Ibrahimović his Bundesliga debut in place of the injured Anton Kade.
Frankfurt flew out of the blocks and needed just six minutes to make the fast start count. Can Uzun's clipped centre found Younes Ebnoutalib, who teed up Jonathan Burkardt to head home.
The hosts continued to press for a second, with Uzun denied by Finn Dahmen and Ebnoutalib twice thwarted by fine last-ditch defending, while Noahkai Banks picked up a first-half yellow card for a late challenge on Burkardt.
The Eagles went in at the break leading 1-0 despite a flurry of created chances that could have made the scoreline more emphatic.
Augsburg raced out of the blocks for the second period and responded instantly. Inside a minute of the restart, Marius Wolf's cross was headed home by Arijon Ibrahimović to level proceedings.
Barely two minutes later, Ibrahimović's own shot was spilled by Noah Atubolu, and Robin Fellhauer pounced to fire in the rebound and complete the turnaround. Alexis Claude-Maurice, on for Fellhauer, then curled in a third for the visitors midway through the half, before Fabian Rieder sealed the win with a stunning free-kick into the top corner in the final minute of normal time, completing a convincing turnaround that saw Augsburg win their first two games of the season for the first time in six campaigns.
Man of the Match: Arijon Ibrahimović
Making his Bundesliga debut for Augsburg, Ibrahimović scored the equalising header seconds after the restart and then set up Fellhauer's decisive second with a shot that Atubolu could not hold.
He also tested Atubolu again later in the half and led all Augsburg players with three shots, capping a debut that earned him 39 per cent of the fan vote for Man of the Match.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Eintracht Frankfurt 2.62 - Augsburg 1.72
Fastest player: Chrislain Matsima (Augsburg), 33.06 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-4 by Fabian Rieder (Augsburg), unavailable
Pass efficiency: Ritsu Dōan (Frankfurt), +4.07
Fantasy Heroes: Fabian Rieder (Augsburg, 283 Points), Arijon Ibrahimović (Augsburg, 258 Points), Chrislain Matsima (Augsburg, 221 Points)
