Jonathan Burkardt’s second-half double propelled Eintracht Frankfurt to a pulsating 4-3 victory over Cologne at the RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday evening, as the visitors overcame a late home surge to extend their strong run of form.
Cologne’s Early Shock
The hosts stunned Frankfurt right from the start. In the fourth minute, Dominique Heintz delivered a long ball from defense to Ragnar Ache, who bypassed goalkeeper Michael Zetterer and cut the ball back for Jakub Kamiński.
The Polish winger slotted home into an empty net. Initially ruled offside against Ache, VAR later confirmed the goal.
The strike marked Kamiński’s fifth Bundesliga goal of the season, a personal best.
Frankfurt Responds
Despite the early setback, Frankfurt gradually asserted control over the match.
Their persistence paid off in the 39th minute when Farès Chaïbi swung in a dangerous corner, allowing Arthur Theate to rise at the near post and flick a header past Schwäbe, scoring his first Bundesliga goal.
As first-half stoppage time approached, Eintracht took the lead. Chaïbi’s initial shot was blocked, but Mahmoud Dahoud reacted quickly to convert the rebound from the edge of the box, giving Frankfurt a 2-1 advantage heading into the break.
Burkardt’s Second-Half Masterclass
The second half belonged to Burkardt. In the 59th minute, he finished a move he had initiated with a diagonal pass to Ritsu Dōan, who sprinted down the right before cutting it back. Burkardt’s first-time finish made it 3-1. Just four minutes later, he struck again after Ansgar Knauff released him behind the defense, calmly rounding Kristoffer Lund and slotting home to put Frankfurt 4-1 up.
Cologne’s Late Fightback
Cologne briefly threatened a comeback thanks to Lukas Kwasniok’s substitutes.
Marius Bülter, who came on for Ache, scored in the 83rd minute, and late in stoppage time, Saïd El Mala assisted Luca Waldschmidt to pull the hosts within one.
However, despite a frantic finish, Frankfurt held firm to claim the three points.
The victory extended Frankfurt’s unbeaten streak to five matches and lifted them to sixth place, highlighting their impressive attacking form with 23 goals from their opening ten league fixtures.
