FCA earn first away win against Eintracht Frankfurt

FC Augsburg will be coming back home from Frankfurt with all three points successfully in the bag. Philipp Max and Caiuby got on the scoresheet for FCA as the game ended 2-1. FCA’s head coach Manuel Baum made two changes to the side that beat Cologne at home 3-0. Ja-Cheol Koo and Jonathan Schmid started the game in Frankfurt ahead of Caiuby and Michael Gregoritsch. Frankfurt began the game with a confident style that comes with playing at home. However, it was the visitors from Swabia who had the first chance at goal. After Daniel Opare countered down the right hand side, he played a cross into the box which found Alfred Finnbogason in a dangerous position, buut the Icelander fired over (3’). At the other end, Mijat Gacinovic took on a shot from 16 metres out, although Marwin Hitz had it covered. Augsburg remained defensively strong all day long, and made it hard for Frankfurt in attack. However, FCA always threatened on the counter attack. A chance fell to Jonathan Schmid on the back of one such counter attack, but his shot from the left just missed the target (10’). Later on, Marcel Heller was brought down near the right corner flag in Frankfurt’s half of the pitch. Philipp Max whipped the ball in to the six-yard box from the ensuing free kick, and Frankfurt could only look on as the ball went directly into the bottom left corner to give FCA a deserved 1-0 lead. It was Max’s second Bundesliga goal in an Augsburg shirt. Frankfurt pushed for the equaliser after play resumed, but FCA held on. They came closest in the 41st minute when Jetro Willems took a free kick from 27 metres out. However, Marwin Hitz made another good save to keep the score at 1-0 heading into the half time break. Eintracht definitely kicked up a gear at the beginning of the second half, but Augsburg’s emphasis on defense cancelled them out. Jonathan De Guzman came close for the home side, although his shot from 18 metres out went just over Hitz’s goal. Afterwards, Sébastien Haller took a shot on the turn, but it missed by a hair’s width (59’). Frankfurt came closer and closer to getting a goal back, but Hitz and Co. defended the 1-0 lead brilliantly. Entertaining ending at the Commerzbank-Arena FCA had another big chance shortly afterwards, as Finnbogason pushed down the right wing to the byline and squared the ball to Ja-Cheol Koo - but his shot just missed the target. Caiuby soon made up for it though, and then some. The Brazilian let a curling shot fly from around 20 metres out, leaving the keeper no chance as it cannoned in off the underside of the bar. 2-0 to Augsburg (77’). However, the game was nowhere near done yet. Eintracht tried everything to avoid an imminent loss at home, and pushed forward more and more. A deflected shot from Luka Jovic came very close in the 79th minute, but Hitz made an inspired reaction save. The Serbian would have his revenge however, as he beat the FCA keeper to make it 2-1 with not long to go. The last few minutes proved to be very entertaining. Ante Rebic then got on the end of a Makoto Hasebe cross from about 16 metres out, but his shot was bravely blocked by Rani Khedira to deny the equaliser. Timothy Chandler wasted the follow up. Hitz continued to be a rock in the FCA net as the game went into injury time, as he managed to parry another deflected shot in the 91st minute. FCA held strong from then on, earning their first away win of the season in the process.