Freiburg miss chance to go top of Bundesliga after thrilling draw at Frankfurt

Frankfurt have been football’s great entertainers this season with 26 goals flying in across their first four matches of the campaign, and that continued here in a breathless first half.

Die Adler broke the deadlock on the 10-minute mark through Younes Ebnoutalib, who celebrated his call-up to the German national team with a tap-in from Ritsu Doan’s cutback.

That goal came against the run of play, and the undeterred visitors continued to push forward.

After Jan-Niklas Beste forced Noah Atubolu into a smart save at the near post, Jordy Makengo released Derry Scherhant down the left, and unlike a chance he missed earlier in the half, he picked out the bottom corner after cutting in from the left to restore parity.

Freiburg were level for just two minutes, however, with the hosts’ lead restored by Jonathan Burkardt’s career-high sixth head-to-head goal - this one converted from close range after Robin Koch had headed a corner back into the danger area. 

Adi Hutter’s men were arguably fortunate to go in at the break ahead, as Ginter fired wide before Scherhant saw a free-kick brilliantly tipped onto the post by Atubolu.

Frankfurt needed to tighten up, but their inability to do so saw them concede 2+ goals for a sixth successive home match. Freiburg’s second equaliser arrived just three minutes after the restart through Yuito Suzuki, who directed a forceful volley home at the back post from Scherhant’s cross.

A game for the purists continued to thrill as the second half progressed, with Scherhant, Doan and Can Uzun all firing just off target in pursuit of the contest’s fifth goal.

Burkardt had the greatest claim to that, but after meeting Ansgar Knauff’s cutback from the six-yard line, he was thwarted by a stunning reaction save from Mio Backhaus.

After Philipp Lienhart directed an audacious effort over the bar, there was something of a lull in proceedings by this game’s high standard, with both sides ultimately settling for a point.

The draw isn’t enough for Freiburg to resume their place at the summit, which they surrender to Bayern Munich, while Frankfurt remain in mid-table having won just once in their first four Bundesliga outings this term.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Derry Scherhant (Freiburg)

Check out the match summary with Flashscore.