Eintracht Frankfurt secured a 1-0 home win over 1. FC Cologne in the Bundesliga, but the victory was followed by a stadium evacuation. A false technical alarm interrupted post-match celebrations and cut short head coach Adi Hütter's press conference.
The decisive goal came in the 77th minute from Younes Ebnoutalib, who finished from a Noel Aseko assist. The German national team striker is now the club's top scorer this season with five goals in six appearances. The win was an important response to the 6-0 defeat at RB Leipzig on the previous matchday and marked the team's first clean sheet of the campaign. Captain Robin Koch marshalled the defence superbly. "Special praise for Robin Koch. He had the team sensationally under control," said Hütter.
Adi Hütter's side now sits 11th in the standings with eight points from six games following this third win of the season. A record of ten goals scored and 16 conceded, however, continues to highlight defensive issues, with the team having the third-worst defence in the league. Eintracht's recent form across the six matches reads two wins, two draws, and two losses. Their form over the last five fixtures, however, shows a marked improvement with three wins, one draw, and one loss. This run began with a 3-1 away win at Mainz 05 on 12 September, followed by a 2-2 draw with Freiburg, a 4-0 cup victory over Braunschweig, the 6-0 loss in Leipzig, and now the 1-0 win over Cologne.
Technical alarm triggers evacuation
At around 23:18, while several thousand spectators were still in the stadium, an alarm sounded. An announcement in German and English instructed people to leave the building immediately due to a technical fault. Hundreds of fans gathered outside, and two fire engines and ambulances arrived on scene. The press conference was interrupted just after Hütter had answered a question about Nnamdi Collins. The coach initially looked confused, then smiled. Press spokesperson Bartosz Niedzwiedzki ended the conference after only four questions and sent journalists away. Rumours of a collapsed elevator proved false. The fire department withdrew around 23:34, shortly after the Cologne team bus left the underground garage. VIP guests were able to resume celebrations for the home win just before midnight.
Eintracht's next fixture is an away match against current second-placed side Borussia Dortmund on Saturday 24 October. The team faces this challenging task sitting six points behind league leaders Bayern München.
This story first appeared at Der Spiegel Fussball
