Meier strikes as Frankfurt hold Augsburg
Augsburg - FC Augsburg missed out on the opportunity to climb to third in the table after letting slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Eintracht Frankfurt in Matchday 20’s closing encounter.
One-way traffic
First-half goals from Ragnar Klavan and Raul Bobadilla had the effervescent home side deservedly in front, but Stefan Aigner’s effort on the strike of half-time gave the away side hope. Goal machine Alexander Meier then ended a two-game scoring drought by notching his 14th of the season to send the four-time DFB Cup winners home with a share of the spoils.
Augsburg came into the game brimming with confidence following their first ever Bundesliga win over Borussia Dortmund in midweek, the latest success in what is turning out to be an incredible season for Markus Weinzierl's charges. Frankfurt, meanwhile, had held high-flying VfL Wolfsburg to a draw in their previous match, but the Eagles were almost blown away by the home side before the interval.
Just six minutes were on the clock when Klavan opened the scoring from close range after a poor clearance by Haris Seferovic, with the Bavarians spurning a host of presentable opportunities. Another Klavan strike was ruled out for offside, while Halil Altintop and Tobias Werner were thwarted by excellent saves from Frankfurt No1 Kevin Trapp.
Meier rolls back the years
Bobadilla popped up at the back post to double the lead with 37 minutes played to give Augsburg a deserved two-goal cushion, but they conceded a sucker-punch at the end of the half. From Takashi Inui’s set-piece delivery, Aigner reacted quickest to turn home the loose ball for his fifth goal in his last six games.
The action lessened somewhat in the early moments of the second half, with Frankfurt having restored a semblance of organisation thanks to the introduction of the lively Sonny Kittel at the interval. Eintracht managed then to gain a gradual foothold in the match, and, after a period of sustained pressure, found their equaliser, Meier showing great pace to power past Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker and coolly slide a low finish into the net.
Points shared
The visitors had their reward for a more enterprising display after the break, with Kittel at the heart of most their promising action. Lucas Piazon had been introduced as Thomas Schaaf's men sought to capitalise on having regained the initiative, but Augsburg showed similar ambition by throwing on attackers Caiuby and Nikola Djurdjic in the final stages.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lashed a shot over the bar with the final whistle approaching, while Piazon glanced a header onto the roof of the net at the other end, but neither side could find a breakthrough. The result ensures Augsburg remain in the top four following their first draw of the season, while Frankfurt are yet to win in 2015.
Line-ups and statistics
Bernie Reeves
