Timothy Chandler ends goal drought as Eintracht Frankfurt beat ten-man Wolfsburg
Timothy Chandler was on target as Eintracht Frankfurt continued their impressive away form with a comfortable 3-1 victory at Wolfsburg.
Wolfsburg 1-3 Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Haller (18'), 0-2 Chandler (22'), 1-2 Arnold (66'), 1-3 Jovic (85')
Red card: Dimata (67')
Only league leaders Bayern Munich have collected more points on the road than Frankfurt his term, and the Eagles took a deserved lead at the Volkswagen Arena when Sebastien Haller shrugged off the challenge of Marcel Tisserand on the edge of the box before slamming an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. The visitors doubled their lead just four minutes later, Chandler slotting home his first league goal in over two and a half years after fine link-up play between Ante Rebic and Marius Wolf on the right wing.
Renato Steffen, who became the Bundesliga’s 6,000th player on Matchday 18, entered the fray at the start of the second period, but the Switzerland international’s introduction did little to lift Martin Schmidt’s side as Frankfurt continued to dominate. Maximilian Arnold’s spectacular free-kick gave the hosts a lifeline 20 minutes into the second half, but the Wolves’ hopes of salvaging a point were all but ended by Nany Dimata’s dismissal for a late challenge on Omar Mascarell. Substitute Luka Jovic struck his third goal in nine league appearances late on to seal an impressive victory for Niko Kovac’s troops.
Watch: Chandler: "I can do it with my left"
Match stats
- Haller’s goal was his eighth of the current campaign. Marco Fabian, the Eagles’ top scorer last season, only managed seven in the entire 2016/17 season.Chandler netted his first Bundesliga goal since May 2015 at the Volkswagen Arena.Eintracht picked up their first three points at Wolfsburg since December 2012.Wolfsburg attacker Dimata was handed his first league start since Matchday 9.Josuha Guilavogui picked up his fifth booking of the season against Frankfurt, ruling him out of the Wolves' clash with Hannover on Matchday 20.The victory was Frankfurt’s 600th in the Bundesliga.
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Line-ups
Wolfsburg: Casteels - Verhaegh (c), Tisserand, Uduokhai, William (Gerhardt 76') - Guilavogui (Osimhen 86'), Arnold - Brekalo (Steffen 46'), Malli, Dimata - Origi
Unused subs: Grün, Bruma, Jung, Knoche
Absentees: Brooks (knee), Blaszczykowski (back), Camacho (ankle)
Coach: Martin Schmidt
Eintracht Frankfurt: Hradecky – Falette, Hasebe (c), Salcedo – Wolf, Boateng, Mascarell, Chandler (Willems 86') – Rebic (Jovic 77'), Gacinovic (Fernandes 79') - Haller
Unused subs: Zimmermann, da Costa, Barkok, Hrgota
Absentees: Abraham (calf), Russ (heel), Besuschkow (cold), de Guzman (shoulder), Meier (ankle), Mandela (knee ligaments)
Coach: Niko Kovac