Younes Ebnoutalib scored a hat-trick for Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening day of the Bundesliga season. The 22-year-old striker netted three times in the 3-3 draw against Union Berlin on Saturday at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. Yahoo Sports reported the news. The Eagles finished the previous season in seventh place with 42 points from 29 games.
Ebnoutalib expressed his pleasure with the performance after the match. "Of course I'm happy that I scored three goals straight away in the first game," said the forward. "It would have been nicer if we had won." His coach Adi Hütter praised the young player's effort. "He works incredibly hard for the team. And when one works that hard, you get rewarded."
How did Ebnoutalib's first half-season go?
Younes Ebnoutalib joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Elversberg last winter. He marked his Bundesliga debut with a goal against Borussia Dortmund. A knee injury then halted his momentum. In the second half of the 2025/26 campaign, he managed only five league appearances. After his injury last spring, he played just 21 Bundesliga minutes across three substitute appearances.
The young striker previously played for FC Gießen and Elversberg. His start to this season has been far more promising. He also scored in the DFB-Pokal opening round victory over St. Tönnis. With his hat-trick against Union Berlin, he has now scored five goals for Frankfurt in all competitions.
Who recently scored an opening day hat-trick?
A hat-trick on the first matchday is a rare feat. In the last three Bundesliga seasons, only a handful of players have managed it. Andrej Kramarić and Harry Kane are among the forwards to have recorded a Matchday One hat-trick during that period. Ebnoutalib now joins that exclusive list.
Adi Hütter's team scored 54 goals last season but also conceded 54. Their goal difference was therefore zero. In the final table, Frankfurt finished 34 points behind champions Bayern Munich.
What does this mean for the upcoming fixtures?
The strong individual start from Younes Ebnoutalib provides fresh impetus for Eintracht Frankfurt's attack. The team must now show it can convert this positive energy into wins. The next test comes on September 6th. Eintracht Frankfurt then host FC Augsburg, who are tenth in the table, at their home ground.
Fans can follow the rest of the season on our fixtures page. The current standings show the tight competition in the middle of the league. For coach Hütter, the consistent improvement of the entire team is the primary objective. The second-half form from last season, which read win, draw, loss, win, draw, needs to become a more consistent run.
Ebnoutalib has made a clear statement with his hat-trick. His injury problems appear to be behind him. The challenge now is to maintain this form over a longer period and help the team with more goals. The coming weeks will show if the young striker can become a permanent key player for Frankfurt.
