Sunday’s opening fixture of the fourth Bundesliga matchday saw Eintracht Frankfurt succumb to a 3-4 defeat against Union Berlin in a captivating contest. Oliver Burke emerged as the standout player of the match, netting a hat-trick for the visitors.
Union Berlin initially drew first blood, with Ilyas Ansah finding the back of the net in the ninth minute. Burke then extended the lead, doubling the advantage in the 32nd minute. Frankfurt managed to pull one back shortly before halftime, courtesy of Nathaniel Brown.
The second half saw Union Berlin maintain their effective performance. Burke added to his tally with goals in the 53rd and 56th minutes, seemingly securing the victory for Berlin. Frankfurt attempted a comeback, but struggled to penetrate Union’s well-structured defense for a considerable period.
Can Uzun provided a glimmer of hope for the home side, scoring in the 80th minute. The match intensified further following a penalty decision in the 85th minute, with Jonathan Burkardt converting the spot-kick to create genuine late-game tension. Shortly afterwards, Union Berlin manager Steffen Baumgart received a red card for throwing a paper ball onto the field. Despite substantial added time, Union Berlin managed to hold onto their lead and secure the victory.
As a result of the defeat, Frankfurt slips to sixth place in the league standings, while Union Berlin moves up to tenth. Frankfurt’s next fixture is against Mönchengladbach on Saturday, while Union Berlin faces Hamburger SV the following day.