Malik Tillman and Arthur score as Bayer Leverkusen heap more misery on Eintracht Frankfurt
Malik Tillman, Arthur and Aleix García all scored as Bayer Leverkusen got a third straight win with a 3-1 victory away at Eintracht Frankfurt, who had Ellyes Skhiri sent off and are now eight games without a win in all competitions, despite Robin Koch’s consolation goal.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 0-1 Arthur 26’ (assist: Grimaldo), 0-2 Tillman 33’ (assist: Kofane), 1-2 Koch 50’, 1-3 García 90’+3 (assist: Poku)
Sent off: Skhiri 71’
Frankfurt came into this match looking to halt an alarming slide that had seen them go five Bundesliga games without a win. With new head coach Albert Riera already appointed but not yet in the dugout, interim boss Dennis Schmitt faced the unenviable task of facing a Leverkusen side that had finally returned to winning ways against Bremen last weekend after three straight defeats.
The hosts were without several injured players including Michy Batshuayi, Jonathan Burkardt and Can Uzun, while Loïc Badé was suspended for the visitors.
First-half dominance
After an early VAR check denied Frankfurt a penalty when Arnaud Kalimuendo went down under Robert Andrich's challenge, Leverkusen gradually took control. The deadlock was broken in the 26th minute when Arthur exchanged a clever one-two with Alejandro Grimaldo before firing past fellow Brazilian Kauã Santos from a tight angle.
Seven minutes later, Tillman – fresh from a midweek double against Villarreal – made it 2-0 with a precise finish from the edge of the area after Christian Kofane's lay-off. Frankfurt struggled to respond before the break, with Rasmus Kristensen's tame effort their only shot on target.
Red card halts comeback
Frankfurt emerged from the interval with renewed purpose and quickly pulled a goal back. In the 50th minute, Koch saw his initial volley saved by Janis Blaswich but reacted quickest to fire home the rebound.
The hosts pushed forward in search of an equaliser, with Arthur Theate firing narrowly over from distance. Their momentum was shattered in the 71st minute, however, when Skhiri received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Kofane.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Frankfurt continued to threaten with substitute Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab forcing a save from Blaswich and Aurèle Amenda heading wide. Their resistance was finally broken in the third minute of stoppage time when García finished coolly after being teed up by substitute Ernest Poku.
Man of the Match: Robin Koch
Despite ending on the losing side, Koch was a commanding presence for Frankfurt throughout. The captain led by example with a well-taken goal that briefly gave his team hope of a comeback, while also making several important defensive interventions.
Koch won the majority of his aerial duels and showed composure on the ball with a 91% passing accuracy. His ability to read the game was evident as he positioned himself well to thwart Leverkusen attacks, and he demonstrated impressive pace, clocking the second-highest speed among Frankfurt players at 31.68 km/h.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Frankfurt 1.01 - Leverkusen 1.35
Fastest player: Nathaniel Brown (Frankfurt), 34.98 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-2 by Malik Tillman (Leverkusen), 9.95 percent
Most pressed player: Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen), 24 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Aleix García (Leverkusen), +4.79
Fantasy Heroes: Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen, 389 Points), Arthur (Leverkusen, 374 Points), Aleix García (Leverkusen, 287 Points)
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