Alejandro Grimaldo emerged as the standout player, scoring a brace in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt during Matchday 3. Grimaldo opened the scoring with a well-placed shot in the 9th minute and added another from a free kick shortly after the break in the 52nd minute. Patrik Schick contributed by converting a penalty in the 48th minute of the first half. Eintracht Frankfurt managed to score through Can Uzun’s goal just after the interval, in the 51st minute.
Grimaldo’s exceptional performance placed him as the most valuable player of the match with two goals and two shots on target.
Patrik Schick also shone brightly, showcasing his skills by netting one goal.
Leverkusen’s coach, Kasper Hjulmand, lined up a 3-6-1 formation, featuring Mark Flekken in goal; with Loic Bade, Jarell Quansah, and Edmond Tapsoba in defense; Lucas Vázquez, Exequiel Palacios, Robert Andrich, Alejandro Grimaldo, Nathan Tella, and Malik Tillman in midfield; and Patrik Schick leading the attack.
In contrast, Eintracht Frankfurt, managed by Dino Toppmoller, set out in a 4-5-1 formation, with Michael Zetterer between the posts; Rasmus Kristensen, Nnamdi Collins, Robin Koch, and Arthur Theate in defense; Ritsu Doan, Can Uzun, Oscar Hojlund, Fares Chaibi, and Jean Bahoya in midfield; and Jonathan Burkardt as the lone striker.
The match, officiated by Deniz Aytekin, took place at the BayArena.
In their next fixtures, Bayer Leverkusen will face Borussia Mönchengladbach at home, while Eintracht Frankfurt will host Union Berlin.
Following this result, Bayer Leverkusen now has 4 points in the tournament, placing them in seventh position, while Eintracht Frankfurt holds 6 points, securing third place.
Substitutions for Bayer Leverkusen
14’ 1T – Exequiel Palacios for Aleix García
61’ 2T – Malik Tillman for Ezequiel Fernández
81’ 2T – Patrik Schick for Christian Kofane and Nathan Tella for Axel Tape
Yellow Cards for Bayer Leverkusen:
18’ 1T Robert Andrich (Holding an opponent to stop progression), 32’ 2T Ezequiel Fernández (Unsportsmanlike conduct), and 48’ 2T Lucas Vázquez (Arguing with an opponent)
Red Cards for Bayer Leverkusen:
13’ 2T Robert Andrich (Red for second yellow) and 46’ 2T Ezequiel Fernández (Red for second yellow)
Substitutions for Eintracht Frankfurt
70’ 2T – Oscar Hojlund for Michy Batshuayi
72’ 2T – for Elye Wahi
82’ 2T – Jean Bahoya for Ansgar Knauff, Jonathan Burkardt for Mahmoud Dahoud, and Rasmus Kristensen for Nathaniel Brown
Yellow Cards for Eintracht Frankfurt:
33’ 2T Can Uzun (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 48’ 2T Elye Wahi (Arguing with an opponent), and 51’ 2T Arthur Theate (Insulting or disapproving the referee)