Late drama as Union Berlin rescue point against Albert Riera's Eintracht Frankfurt in 1-1 draw
New Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Albert Riera appeared to be heading for a winning start away to Union Berlin in the Matchday 21 opener on Friday, only for the home side to score a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
Union Berlin 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Brown 84', 1-1 Querfeld pen. 87'
Red card: Højlund 86'
All eyes were on Riera as the Spanish tactician made his Bundesliga debut in the Frankfurt dugout. The former Liverpool winger was tasked with ending Eintracht's six-match winless run, their longest negative series since spring 2023.
Hosts Union were similarly desperate for points, having failed to win any of their five matches since the winter break. The occasion was made even more special by a stunning choreography celebrating Union's 60th anniversary, which briefly caused the match to be paused in the early minutes due to reduced visibility from smoke.
Riera made just two changes from the team that lost to Leverkusen, bringing in Oscar Höjlund for the suspended Ellyes Skhiri and Farès Chaïbi for Aurèle Amenda, while Steffen Baumgart made four alterations to his Union side including recalls for Christopher Trimmel and Derrick Köhn.
Possession without penetration
Frankfurt immediately demonstrated Riera's possession-based philosophy, controlling 70 percent of the ball in the first half. Despite their dominance, clear chances were at a premium as Union's compact defensive shape proved difficult to break down.
Ritsu Dōan offered glimpses of creativity on the right flank, while Chaïbi curled a speculative effort wide from distance in the 39th minute. Union grew into the game as the half progressed, with Aljoscha Kemlein forcing a fine save from Kauã Santos with a swerving volley in the 41st minute.
Ilyas Ansah then almost capitalised on Robin Koch's misjudged header but his attempted lob from distance sailed wide.
Late drama changes everything
The second half saw both sides show more attacking intent. Höjlund squandered Frankfurt's best chance in the 57th minute, slicing wide from 10 yards after excellent build-up play between Dōan and Arnaud Kalimuendo.
Union responded with Leopold Querfeld heading straight at Santos before Köhn struck the post with a powerful drive in the 76th minute. Just as the match seemed destined for a goalless draw, Frankfurt struck in the 84th minute.
Mahmoud Dahoud, on as a substitute, saw his attempted scissors kick blocked, but the ball fell perfectly for Nathaniel Brown, who lashed a ferocious shot past Frederik Rønnow.
Frankfurt's joy was short-lived, however, as Höjlund received a second yellow card for hauling down Rani Khedira in the box just three minutes later. Querfeld stepped up to take the resulting penalty and, despite Santos getting a hand to his effort, the ball squirmed underneath the goalkeeper to level the scores.
Man of the Match: Nathaniel Brown
Brown looked to have written himself into Frankfurt folklore with what would have been a winning goal on coach Riera's debut. The left-back struck a thunderous shot from just inside the penalty area that flew into the bottom corner at 105.51 km/h.
The quality of the finish was particularly impressive given its low xG value of just 0.08, making it a genuine moment of individual brilliance. Aside from his goal, Brown was consistently solid defensively and showed impressive pace throughout, recording the second-highest top speed of any player on the pitch at 34.06 km/h, just fractionally behind Köhn's 34.09 km/h.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Union Berlin 1.76 - Eintracht Frankfurt 0.48
Fastest player: Derrick Köhn (Union), 34.09 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Nathaniel Brown (Frankfurt), 8 percent
Most pressed player: Ritsu Dōan (Frankfurt), 22 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Ritsu Dōan (Frankfurt), +3.77
Fantasy Heroes: Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt, 201 Points), Leopold Querfeld (Union Berlin, 180 Points), Rasmus Kristensen (Eintracht Frankfurt, 166 Points)
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