Super sub Fares Chaïbi inspires Eintracht Frankfurt to victory over Freiburg
Eintracht Frankfurt secured a 2-0 win over Freiburg with an assured, confident performance on Matchday 24, as Farès Chaïbi scored seconds after coming on in the second half for the opener before assisting Jean-Mattéo Bahoya.
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Freiburg
Goals: 1-0 Chaïbi 64‘ (assist: Collins), 2-0 Bahoya 81‘ (assist: Chaïbi)
A battle in the race for Europe took place at Deutsche Bank Park as eighth-placed Frankfurt hosted seventh-placed Freiburg, with both sides looking to stay in the continental fight. The hosts came into the match having suffered their eighth league defeat of the season against Bayern Munich, already matching their total from the entire 2024/25 campaign.
Jonathan Burkardt returned to Frankfurt's starting line-up, a worrying prospect for the visitors given he had scored four goals against Freiburg in his career – more than against any other current Bundesliga club. The visitors, meanwhile, meanwhile, arrived in good form after a victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, though their away record remained a concern with just two wins from 12 matches on the road.
Frankfurt's evening began with a significant setback when goalkeeper Kauã Santos collided with Igor Matanović in the opening minute, forcing Albert Riera to make an early substitution. Michael Zetterer came on, but the hosts gradually settled into the match despite this disruption.
After a cagey opening period, Frankfurt began to assert their dominance with Nathaniel Brown and Burkardt both testing Noah Atubolu. Arnaud Kalimuendo also had a good opportunity, but the Freiburg keeper was also equal to his effort. Then, the visitors nearly snatched the lead against the run of play when Matanović rose highest to meet Christian Günter's cross in first-half stoppage time, but his header struck the post and bounced gratefully into Zetterer's hands.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with Frankfurt enjoying more possession but struggling to find a breakthrough. Riera, though, made what would prove to be a decisive double substitution shortly after the hour mark, bringing on Ritsu Dōan for Mario Götze and Chaïbi for Oscar Höjlund.
The impact was almost immediate. Just 42 seconds after entering the pitch, Chaïbi exchanged passes with Nnamdi Collins before finding space in the box and calmly slotting the ball into the far corner to give Frankfurt a deserved lead.
Julian Schuster responded by making changes of his own, but Frankfurt remained in control. Ultimately, the hosts secured the three points in the 81st minute when the two standout performers combined. Chaïbi picked out Jean-Mattéo Bahoya with a clever pass, and the winger produced a sublime finish, lobbing Atubolu from a tight angle.
It was no more than Frankfurt deserved, having dominated possession and created the better chances throughout. The victory moved them to within three points of Freiburg in the race for European qualification.
Man of the Match: Farès Chaïbi
Despite only playing 26 minutes plus stoppage time, Chaïbi proved to be the difference-maker at Deutsche Bank Park. The Algerian international made an immediate impact after replacing Oscar Höjlund, scoring with virtually his first touch to break the deadlock.
But Chaïbi wasn't finished there – he turned provider with a perfectly weighted pass for Bahoya, who finished the chance brilliantly. Two crucial attacking contributions in under 20 minutes of play made him the undisputed player of the match and vindicated Albert Riera's tactical substitution.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Eintracht Frankfurt 1.36 - Freiburg 0.53
Fastest player: Jean-Mattéo Bahoya (Frankfurt), 34.05 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-0 by Jean-Mattéo Bahoya (Frankfurt), 3.5 percent
Most pressed player: Jean-Mattéo Bahoya (Frankfurt), 24 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Aurèle Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt), +4.06
Fantasy Heroes: Jean-Mattéo Bahoya (Frankfurt, 366 Points), Aurèle Amenda (Frankfurt, 300 Points), Nathaniel Brown (Frankfurt, 260 Points)
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