Eintracht Frankfurt bounced back from back-to-back Bundesliga defeats to remain in close pursuit of the top four with a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Goals: 1-0  Da Costa (28'), 2-0 Kostic (57'), 2-1 Bellarabi (65')

With both sides having successfully navigated their ways into the last 32 of the Europa League during the week, it was back to Bundesliga business with three points at stake and no holding back in the early exchanges, leading up to a goal for Karim Bellarabi which was ruled out by Video Assist due to offside. There were no such doubts about the goal which came at the other end, though, with Danny Da Costa meeting Filip Kostic's cross unmarked and slotting in from close range. Lukas Hradecky then denied his former side a more handsome lead at the break as he saved from Sebastien Haller.

Frankfurt did double their lead just shy of the hour mark when an excellent combination culminated in Haller's low cross being met by Kostic, who tucked in his first goal of the season. Victory could have been placed under lock and key by Ante Rebic minutes later, but he screwed his shot wide of the far post. Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich responded by sending on both Leon Bailey and Lucas Alario, and he reaped an immediate reward with Bellarabi threading the needle with his shot inside Kevin Trapp's near post from the Jamaican's cross. That set up a tense finale in which the tackles were flying in, but the hosts managed to hold on to a win which keeps them hot on the heels of fourth-placed Leipzig.

Danny Da Costa is congratulated by his Eintracht Frankfurt team mates after putting the Eagles in front. - Getty

Match stats

• With four goals this season, Bellarabi now has one more than the past two seasons combined.
• Frankfurt have not lost a single game this season and last in which they have taken the lead.
• Da Costa, who used to play for Leverkusen, scored only his second career goal in the Bundesliga.
• Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky made 101 appearances for Frankfurt and helped them win the DFB Cup in May, before moving to Leverkusen over the summer.
• Across 67 Bundesliga meetings, this game has never finished 0-0.

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Line-ups

Frankfurt: Trapp – Salcedo, Falette, NDicka – Da Costa, Gacinovic (Stendera, 90+2'), Fernandes (c), Willems (De Guzman 84'), Kostic – Haller, Rebic (Jovic 81')
Unused subs: Rönnow, Russ, Müller, Tawatha
Out: Abraham (calf), Allan (ankle), Chandler (knee), Torro (pubic bone), Paciencia (knee), Hasebe (muscle injury)
Coach: Adi Hütter

Leverkusen: Hradecky – Weiser (Bailey 63'), Tah, Dragovic, Jedvaj – Kohr, Aranguiz (Alario  63') – Bellarabi, Havertz, Brandt (Paulinho 85') – Volland (c)
Unused subs: Kirschbaum, S. Bender, Baumgartlinger, Wendell
Out: Pohjanpalo (ankle), Retsos (thigh)
Coach: Heiko Herrlich

About the clubs

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

BayArena

Eintracht Frankfurt

Deutsche Bank Park