Bas Dost and Andre Silva strike as Eintracht Frankfurt beat Union Berlin
Summer signings Bas Dost and Andre Silva were both on target as Eintracht Frankfurt beat Union Berlin 2-1 in the capital on Friday night.
Union Berlin 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Dost (48'), 0-2 Silva (62'), 1-2 Ujah (86')
Seeking to cause a second major upset this season, having already beaten Borussia Dortmund, Union had a good early chance to go in front when Ken Reichel's shot was saved somewhat fortunately by the inside of Kevin Trapp's foot. Frankfurt then managed to get a foot on the ball and carve out a few chances of their own with Filip Kostic constantly a threat on the left wing, and Silva ever dangerous in the centre. Meanwhile, Martin Hinteregger ensured there was no way through for the hosts, who were keen to break in numbers whenever they gained possession.
Dost gave Frankfurt a flying start to the second half when he pounced on a loose ball after Rafal Gikiewicz was only able to parry Kostic's low shot to the feet of the Dutchman. It was Dost's second goal since joining Frankfurt in the summer, and fellow new arrival Silva followed suit by nodding in his second goal for the Eagles from an inviting Djibril Sow cross. Adi Hütter's men were not home and dry, though, as Union substitute Anthony Ujah reduced the arrears with a well-placed shot, but the hosts could not find an equaliser as they succumbed to their fourth defeat of the season.
Match stats
- Dost marked his first Bundesliga start for Frankfurt with his second goal for the Eagles; his last Bundesliga start came for Wolfsburg on 27 August 2016 in a 2-0 win over Augsburg.
- At 29.5 years, the average age of Union's team was higher than it has ever been since March 2014.
- For Frankfurt, it was the first 0-0 at half-time of a game this season – in their 14th competitive fixture.
- Ujah's last two Bundesliga goals also came against Frankfurt in May 2019, when he fired Mainz to a 2-0 victory at the Commerzbank-Arena.
- Portugal striker Silva opened his Bundesliga account for Frankfurt in last week's 2-2 draw with Dortmund, netting his first competitive goal since January and now scoring in consecutive games.
- Frankfurt have never lost at Union's ground, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, claiming four wins and a draw in five competitive meetings.
Line-ups
Union: Gikiewicz - Trimmel (c), Friedrich, Subotic, Reichel - Gogia (Becker 59'), Gentner, Andrich, Schmiedebach (Ujah 66') - Andersson, Bülter (Mees 66')
Unused subs: Nicolas, Ryerson, Flecker, Kroos, Schlotterbeck, Ingvartsen
Out: Polter (suspended), Abdullahi (knee), Prömel (knee)
Coach: Urs Fischer
Frankfurt: Trapp - Toure, Hasebe (c), Hinteregger - Durm (Chandler 77'), Sow, Fernandes, Kostic - Kamada (Kohr 71') - Silva, Dost (Paciencia 83')
Unused subs: Rönnow, N'dicka, Falette, Joveljic, Gacinovic, Torro
Out: Russ (Achilles tendon), Abraham, da Costa (both with knocks), Rode (knee)
Coach: Adi Hütter
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