Jonathan Burkardt gave Eintracht Frankfurt an early lead at Deutsche Bank Park, but Augsburg overturned the deficit within two minutes of the restart and finished with four second-half goals to climb to the top of the Bundesliga after two games.
Augsburg left Frankfurt with a 4-1 away win and six points from six after punishing the decisive moments after half-time rather than controlling long spells.
Frankfurt had been the better side before the break and created enough to lead by more than one. Can Uzun was denied in the 12th minute, Younes Ebnoutalib tested Finn Dahmen again before half-time, and the home side’s 59 per cent possession, 20 shots, 11 efforts on target, nine corners and 1.523 expected goals told the same story.
That made the restart all the more damaging for the hosts, as Augsburg’s response turned Frankfurt’s first-half advantage into a decisive result.
Augsburg turn the match around after half-time
Burkardt’s sixth-minute opener had put Frankfurt exactly where they wanted to be. The home side started on the front foot and kept finding ways through, with Dahmen forced into a series of saves as Uzun, Raphael Onyedika, Burkardt, Elias Baum and Ebnoutalib all threatened before the interval.
Augsburg reached half-time still only one goal down, and the entire match changed almost immediately after the restart. Frankfurt failed to clear a high ball, Marius Wolf’s cross found Ibrahimović, and the Augsburg attacker headed in for 1-1 in the 46th minute.
The second goal followed before Frankfurt could settle. Noah Atubolu could not hold Ibrahimović’s shot in the 47th minute, and Fellhauer reacted first to convert the rebound for 2-1.
Frankfurt tried to respond and eventually made a triple substitution in the 69th minute, sending on Farès Chaïbi, Ayoube Amaimouni and Timothy Chandler. By then, Augsburg had already taken control of the flow of the game, and the home side’s strong first-half authority had been replaced by a chase they never properly managed.
Ibrahimović and Augsburg’s clinical finishing decide the contest
Ibrahimović was the clear catalyst for the turnaround. He scored the equaliser, drove the move that led to the second goal and gave Augsburg the jolt they needed after a difficult first half.
Once ahead, Augsburg dictated the match on their own terms. They defended deeper, waited for counter-attacking space and forced Frankfurt to attack against a far less open set-up than the one they had enjoyed before the break.
Claude-Maurice made that shift count in the 65th minute, only four minutes after coming on. Augsburg moved quickly from a restart, Frankfurt failed to apply pressure, and the substitute carried the ball forward before curling his finish into the far corner. At 3-1, Augsburg were in command.
Rieder’s free-kick in the 89th minute rounded off the scoring and underlined the contrast between the sides. Frankfurt finished with more possession, more shots, more shots on target, more corners and a higher xG, yet Augsburg scored four times from eight efforts on target and were far cleaner in the moments that decided the match.
What comes next for Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt?
Augsburg take six points from their first two matches into a home game against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday 12 September at 14:30 BST. The immediate reward is top spot in the early Bundesliga table, the first time the club have occupied that position, even if the season is still only two games old.
Finn Dahmen said Augsburg could enjoy the moment while trying to carry their current momentum into their upcoming matches. Leverkusen should offer a much sterner test of whether this fast start can become something more substantial.
Frankfurt, now 13th with one point from two matches, host Mainz 05 at the same time on 12 September. Their task is straightforward enough: recover from a defeat in which a commanding first half and a clear statistical edge counted for very little once Augsburg punished the opening moments of the second half.
