Vincenzo Grifo salvages point late on for Freiburg against Eintracht Frankfurt
Freiburg come from behind to draw 2-2 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt with Vincenzo Grifo's superb long-range free-kick cancelling out Jonathan Burkardt's first-half brace, which had overturned Derry Scherhant's early opener.
Freiburg 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 1-0 Scherhant 2‘ (assist: Manzambi), 1-1 Burkardt 18‘, 1-2 Burkardt 38‘ (assist: Chaïbi), 2-2 Grifo 87‘
After a rocky start to the season in which they lost their opening two matches, Freiburg entered this contest unbeaten in their last six games as they welcomed Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa-Park Stadion. The visitors arrived on nine points - fewer than at the same stage last season but sitting seventh in the table despite having conceded a league-high 16 goals.
Frankfurt had an impressive recent record against the Breisgauer, losing only one of their last 11 meetings. The match also marked the return of Ritsu Dōan to face his former club, where he had been Freiburg's top scorer last season.
Dream start for Scherhant
Freiburg couldn't have asked for a better beginning, taking the lead inside two minutes. Johan Manzambi pounced on a loose pass from Robin Koch in midfield before immediately driving forward and slipping Derry Scherhant through on goal. The 21-year-old, making his first Bundesliga start for the club, showed remarkable composure to slot the ball past Kauã Santos into the bottom right corner.
Frankfurt looked rattled by the early setback but gradually worked their way back into the contest, with Farès Chaïbi firing an attempt wide after failing to pick out Dōan in space not long after.
Burkardt turns the tide
The Eagles drew level in the 18th minute through Jonathan Burkardt. The forward was instrumental in winning the ball high up the pitch before advancing forward. Can Uzun attempted a pass that deflected fortunately off a Freiburg defender, sending Burkardt clean through, and he made no mistake with a clinical finish past Noah Atubolu.
The equaliser shifted momentum firmly to the visitors, who began to dominate possession. Frankfurt completed the turnaround in the 38th minute when Uzun fed Chaïbi, whose cutback found Burkardt in the box. Despite not making the cleanest connection, his scuffed effort took a slight deflection and wrong-footed Atubolu to put Frankfurt 2-1 ahead.
Freiburg fight back
The hosts emerged for the second half with renewed purpose, wrestling back control of the match. Julian Schuster's men created several good chances, with Lukas Kübler heading just wide from Scherhant's cross.
As the match entered its final stages, Freiburg made impactful substitutions, with Vincenzo Grifo - surprisingly starting on the bench - replacing goalscorer Scherhant in the 75th minute.
The Italian maestro would ultimately prove decisive. With just three minutes of normal time remaining, Freiburg won a free-kick about 30 yards from goal. While everyone expected Grifo to send in a cross, he instead unleashed a stunning, curling effort that caught Santos completely off guard, finding the net to make it 2-2.
Player of the Match: Jonathan Burkardt
Burkardt was the standout performer despite not ending on the winning side. The Frankfurt forward continued his remarkable run of form, scoring in five of his last six matches across all competitions.
His clinical double turned the match on its head after Freiburg's early goal - a testament to both his predatory instincts and his work rate in pressing high to win the ball for his first strike.
With seven goals in his last six appearances, Burkardt demonstrated why he's become such a crucial figure for Dino Toppmöller's side. His ability to find space in the box and finish chances efficiently earned him the highest fantasy points total (335) of any player in the match.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Freiburg 1.13 - Frankfurt 0.69
Fastest player: Derry Scherhant (Freiburg), 33.55 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-2 by Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), 5.81 percent
Most pressed player: Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), 24 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Lukas Kübler (Freiburg), 3.1
Fantasy Heroes: Jonathan Burkardt (Eintracht Frankfurt, 335 Points), Derry Scherhant (Freiburg, 272 Points), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt, 225 Points)
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