Frankfurt beats Leipzig: Topmuller: Our mission is not yet complete
2025-04-28 05:07
With Knauf's double, Ekitik and Robin Koch scoring, Frankfurt defeated Leipzig 4-0 in the 31st round of the 2024/25 Bundesliga. Topmuller said that although his team is in a good position, there are still important tasks to be completed.
In the 21st minute of the match, Knauf received a diagonal pass from Ekitik and shot into the empty goal from the penalty area facing Leipzig goalkeeper Van der Walt, helping Frankfurt to open the scoring with a 1-0 lead. In the 50th minute of the second half, Knauf was tripped by Leipzig defender El Bishiab when he received a long pass from his teammate. The referee showed El Bishiab a red card for this, and Leipzig was left with 10 players.
In the 53rd minute, Taiat took a free kick and shot directly, but was blocked by Leipzig goalkeeper Van der Walt. Then Knauf made a supplementary shot and scored, helping Frankfurt continue to lead Leipzig 2-0. In the 67th minute, Mateo Bavaya made a lob pass and Ekitik scored with a header, helping Frankfurt expand its lead to 3-0.
In the 71st minute, Nathaniel Brown took a corner kick and Robin Koch jumped up and headed the ball into the goal, making it 4-0 for Frankfurt.
In the end, Frankfurt beat Leipzig 4-0 at home. After taking all 3 points, Frankfurt is currently ranked third in the standings with 55 points, 4 points ahead of Freiburg in fourth place.
Frankfurt coach Topmuller said, "This is a significant victory and we are proud of it. We wanted to score a goal, which was evident from the start of the game. The players were very committed."
"Having a week to prepare helped us a lot and we played with great energy. We have to thank the team and all the staff. We are in a very good position but the job is not done yet."
Knauf, who contributed two goals for Frankfurt, said, "This was a near-perfect game. From the first minute we showed great energy and followed the tactical requirements, which was to use speed to break through the opponent's defense."
“It’s an important step and we’ll be working hard over the next few weeks to get it done and we’re in a good position at the moment.”
In addition, Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp said, "We still have 9 points to fight for, and defeating our direct competitors is a good result. The most important thing now is to maintain momentum and strive to win rewards for the efforts throughout the season. The atmosphere in the stadium is very hot and full of smiles. This is the meaning of our playing football."