Turning point: Eintracht pick up 6 points in 4 days.

 

My dog is currently hiding in the bathroom:

From directing words that shouldn't be repeated publicly at Sam Lammers, to shouting pure exhilaration in a matter of seconds, Bella can't take anymore.  My poor 8 lb pomeranian is terrified of the noise level that's currently coming from in front of my TV set and knows there's still time left to play. There's nothing better than beating Bayern.  Nothing.  Well, maybe the birth of a child, but that might be it.  Bella knows one thing though: when I start singing "Schwarz-Wiess vie Schnee" there's a treat coming her way.  In a game in which we were statistically dominated, Kevin Trapp was the best player on the field and Filip Kostic hit a laser-guided missile into the far corner to beat FC Bayern Munchen 2:1.  After being stuck in Neutral and opening the season 0-6-2 (including 5 straight 1-1 draws), Die Adler pick up 6 points in 4 days and begin to gain some traction on the season.  Neither win was perfect, and both had moments of doubt, but both showed the same theme: the ability to get the job done.

With Bayern flooding the attacking third and pouncing on Eintracht midfielders the second they touched the ball, Eintracht was forced to play the ball long down the sidelines for much of the game.  With the speed of Bayern's backline of Dayot Upamecano, Niklas Süle, Lucas Hernandez, and Alphonso Davies. Bayern dominated the game in terms of possession and shot creation, but just couldn't beat Kevin Trapp.  Bayern won possession % (72%-28%), Shots on goal (20-5), and shots on target (10-2), but Eintracht won the game.  Rarely did the Eagles make it out of their own half with possession, but they held firm and turned Bayern away time and time again.

Kevin Trapp was spectacular in both wins, and over 180 minutes of play only a perfectly placed bender from Leon Goretzka could beat him.  Trapps had Robert Lewandowski in his back pocket the entire game, and his kick save of Lewandowski's headed attempt in the 55 minute was one of many times he saved the game.  Trapp was equally as impressive in the first half of the Royal Antwerp game on Thursday, posting 3 first-half saves on his way to a clean sheet.  While the defense looked shaky at times against Antwerp, they did enough to keep Trapp clean and post 3 much-needed points,  The three points against Antwerp currently have Eintracht sitting second in the Europa League group, with a chance to take control in the upcoming matches against Olympiakos. After the last four days, you have to cautiously feel like Eintracht has turned a bit of a corner.  They may not qualify for Europe again this year, they aren't setting any team or league records, but they sure aren't going to be in the bottom 1/3rd of the league either.

These aren't all of Trapp's saves, but a few of the best from the win over Bayern.......what I wouldn't give for a Bemble of Apfelwein and some handkäse.....mit musik of course. Especially from Hockenberger Mühle in Kloppenheim. This is the second consecutive time Trapp led the way to 3 points for Die Adler against Munich, and the first time we've ever picked up 3 points at Allianz Arena.  He doesn't think that Flick was very impressed, however.  Kevin Trapp and the defense set a tone over the recent span, and if they can keep this up Eintracht will be just fine.  If they can ever find a consistent goal scorer, they'll be able to fight the same fight they fought last year.  But that's a big "if". 

Toure, Tuta, and Chandler up to the task.

Toure, Tuta, and Timmy Chandler have played really well when given the opportunity.  Chandler put in a really gritty effort in the 1:1 draw against Köln, backed that with a good 90-minute shift against Antwerp, and also put up a 90-minute effort in the 2:1 win over Bayern.  Chandler's stats might not pop off the charts, but he did a good job bottlenecking Bayern's right flank back to the midfield.  Serge Gnaby was never really free, and despite finding Lewandowski twice on crosses, Lewandowski never capitalized.  Toure also played well against Bayern last year in the 2:1 win.  His speed and athleticism are much more suited to cover Bayern's track team of a left flank (Davies and Leroy Sané) than Erik Durm.  Tuta did a tremendous job being the cap on the bottle when Toure was funneling Bayerns flank to him.  While Toure was making it hard for Davies and Sané to cut back inside, he was also running them right into a waiting Tuta.  Tuta had a hard start to the season in the DFB Pokal opener, and it was good to see him bounce back.

While Tuta, Toure, and Chandler put in a really solid defensive effort, they all struggled mightily against the press.  All three had passing percentages below 60%, and all three had multiple giveaways before we even got out of the defensive 1/3rd.  However, as is the theme this week, they did enough to get the job done.  Toure, Tuta, and Chandler were a big reason why Eintracht was able to keep Bayern's wings at bay.   Monsters come awake in October, and these three put in a monster effort this week.

Eintracht have a chance to make up much-needed ground:

With a very winnable Bundesliga matchup against Furth, and with four other teams ahead of Eintracht in the standings, Eintracht has a chance to do some damage and gain some ground. We will see quickly after the International Break if this team has turned a corner, or if this was a one-off effort. They can nail down their path out of the group with games against Olympiacos and Antwerp as well. I'm trying not to be overly optimistic, but picking up even 1 point in Allianz is a feat. Getting all three has me giddy.

There is still a lot of work to do. Eintracht has to find a consistent goal scorer, and they need to do that now. The rest of the team is shaping up into place, and while there are occasional cracks in the armor, the armor is still good enough to get three points. Right now they are fighting with daggers and knives, and they need a 60" broad sword to swing. One of Lammers, Borre, and Paciencia need to step up and take the job that is dangling in front of them.

That's all for now,

Thanks again for reading,

Forza S.G.E

And this: