01/31/26 11:07:00
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01/31 11:05 CST Eintracht Frankfurt loses again in last Bundesliga game before
new coach takes over
Eintracht Frankfurt loses again in last Bundesliga game before new coach takes
over
By CIARAN FAHEY
AP Sports Writer
The new coach can't start soon enough.
Eintracht Frankfurt's winless run stretched to eight games across all
competitions on Saturday after a 3-1 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the
Bundesliga.
It was the sixth game from seven this year that Frankfurt conceded three goals.
Spanish coach Albert Riera takes over on Monday and the size of his task is
clear since Frankfurt fired Dino Toppmller on Jan. 18 --- fix that leaky
defense after four straight defeats.
Brazilian defender Arthur scored the first goal in the 26th minute for
Leverkusen --- it was also the first across five afternoon games --- by beating
goalkeeper Kaua Santos at his near post after Alex Grimaldo set him up with his
heel.
Malik Tillman made it 2-0 with a fine low strike inside the right post. That
was the American forward's third goal in two games including the midweek 3-0
win at Villarreal in the Champions League.
Robin Koch pulled one back and Frankfurt was much improved after the break but
Ellyes Skhiri was sent off with his second yellow card in the 70th.
Aleix Garcia got Leverkusen's third on a counterattack in stoppage time.
Also, Mainz came from behind to win in Leipzig 2-1, Hoffenheim defeated Union
Berlin 3-1, Augsburg enjoyed a 2-1 win over St. Pauli, and Werder Bremen scored
late to salvage a 1-1 draw at home with Borussia Mnchengladbach.
Bayern Munich, defeated for the first time this season by Augsburg last
weekend, was playing at Hamburger SV in the late game.
Debatable penalty calls
Referees are in the spotlight after debatable penalty decisions in several
games.
Robert Schrder decided against awarding Frankfurt an early spot kick even
after consulting replays that showed Leverkusen's Robert Andrich striking
Arnaud Kalimuendo's leg.
Augsburg's Marius Wolf conceded a spot kick for connecting with St. Pauli's
Manolis Saliakas after clearing the ball. Augsburg coach Manuel Baum was booked
for his protests. There was no VAR intervention.
Leipzig's David Raum was penalized for an apparent foul on Mainz's Phillip
Tietz before the interval, allowing Nadiem Amiri to equalize for 1-1. Tietz
later set up Silas for the winner.
Union Berlin's Leopold Querfeld was penalized for a foul on Hoffenheim's Fisnik
Asllani while clearing the ball. Andrej Kramaric scored the resultant spot kick
and got another goal three minutes later.
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