Martin Lanig (c.) leaps like a salmon to power Eintracht Frankfurt ahead in the Eagles' deserved 2-1 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Martin Lanig (c.) leaps like a salmon to power Eintracht Frankfurt ahead in the Eagles' deserved 2-1 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen

LONG WAY DOWN FOR PROMOTED TRIO

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Munich - Matchday 1 proved a weekend of mixed fortunes for the Bundesliga's promoted sides, as Eintracht Frankfurt and Fortuna Düsseldorf opened with wins, but SpVgg Greuther Fürth fell to FC Bayern Munich.

Eagles soar

With 33 games left on the league calendar, bundesliga.com takes a look at what can be learned from the opening weekend's results if the new boys are to avoid an immediate return to Bundesliga 2.

They did it the hard way, but Eintracht Frankfurt marked their return to the Bundesliga after a one-year absence with a bang against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Unfortunate to be behind to a Stefan Kießling strike just short of the hour-mark, goals from Stefan Aigner and Martin Lanig made it a night to remember for Armin Veh's side, who, just a week earlier, had to face up to the ignominy of falling at the first hurdle in the DFB Cup.

The goals came from midfield against Die Werkself, but new signing Olivier Occean could quite easily have opened his account at the Commerzbank Arena, while strike partner Alexander Meier also spurned a fine opening to give his side a first-half lead. That should give them cause for hope as chances weren't all that hard to come by, and that against one of the Bundesliga's top-five clubs. Next up for the Eagles is a trip to 1899 Hoffenheim - a team that knows all about barnstorming Bundesliga arrivals - and one that is still looking to get off the mark in 2012/13.

Fortuna favours the brave


One of the more unexpected results of the opening day saw Fortuna Düsseldorf substitute Dani Schahin's well-taken brace cast FC Augsburg aside at the Impuls Arena. The former Fürth striker needed just eight minutes to get off the mark and will now be hoping he's done enough to warrant a place in the starting eleven ahead of the visit of Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Any points away from home are a bonus for promoted sides, but it doesn't get much better than an opening day win - and a convincing one at that. Fortuna's back four were the bedrock of their Matchday 1 success, starving Augsburg's towering Artiside Bance of any space to manoeuvre - a tactic that'll need to be spot on against the likes of Juan Arango and Luuk De Jong when the Foals come to town on Saturday afternoon.

As tough as they come


Greuther Fürth held out for 43 minutes against the might of FC Bayern Munich, before ultimately succumbing to a 3-0 defeat at the Trolli Arena. Despite the scoreline, there were some positives to be drawn - and let's face it, there's no shame in losing to a team like Bayern whoever you are.

The Clover Leaves did enough defensively to suggest they're at least watertight enough for 3-0 home defeats to be the exception rather than the norm as the season cranks into gear. Where they might suffer, though, is in the goals department. Bayern's Manuel Neuer had very little to do and although Fürth were without experienced striker Gerald Asamoah, one wonders how they'll miss the firepower of Schahin and Occean - both of whom looked the business at their new homes on Matchday 1.

Christopher Mayer-Lodge