Albert Riera (foto: Getty Images)
Albert Riera’s Eintracht Frankfurt suffered another painful Bundesliga defeat after Borussia Dortmund completed a comeback victory in a dramatic 3:2 clash.
Albert Riera suffered another painful defeat on the bench of Eintracht Frankfurt, increasing speculation about his future at the Bundesliga club.
Before the match, the Spaniard confidently predicted that his team would “fly” against Borussia Dortmund, and for a brief moment it looked like he might finally be right.
Eintracht stunned the home crowd by taking the lead in only the second minute.
Can Uzun finished calmly inside the penalty area after an excellent assist from Mahmoud Dahoud, who produced a perfectly weighted pass.
However, familiar problems quickly returned for Riera’s side.
After the early goal, Eintracht gradually lost attacking momentum and struggled to create danger for long periods.
Borussia Dortmund punished them before half-time.
Serhou Guirassy equalized from close range after a cross from Julian Ryerson, before Nico Schlotterbeck completed a fine team move to give Dortmund a 2:1 lead before the break.
The decisive moment arrived in the 72nd minute.
Highly rated Italian talent Samuele Inacio scored his first senior club goal in spectacular fashion, finishing acrobatically to extend Dortmund’s advantage to 3:1.
The 18-year-old striker delivered an energetic performance throughout the evening, further strengthening his growing reputation.
Coach Niko Kovac recently described Inacio as a future star of the Italian national team.
Riera attempted to change the game with several surprising decisions.
The Eintracht coach trusted Dahoud, despite reports that the midfielder will leave the club at the end of the season, while also using Mario Gotze and Jonathan Burkardt, two players previously believed to be outside his plans.
There was still late hope for the visitors.
In the 87th minute, Burkardt reacted well inside the box and reduced the score to 3:2 after good work from Ansgar Knauff.
Eintracht pushed hard during four minutes of stoppage time, but Dortmund survived the pressure and secured victory.
The defeat was Eintracht Frankfurt’s 12th loss of the season and adds even more uncertainty around Riera’s position ahead of the final weeks of the campaign.