Three points in Stuttgart | OneFootball

Hugo Ekitiké, Nathaniel Brown and Omar Marmoush were on target as Eintracht beat VfB Stuttgart 3-2. Marmoush found the net with another free-kick, while Kevin Trapp saved Ermedin Demirovic’s first-half penalty.

Ekitiké powered a header past Alexander Nübel on the stroke of half-time to give Eintracht the lead after Trapp had kept out Ermedin Demirovic’s spot-kick. Brown’s second goal in as many Bundesliga games doubled the Eagles’ lead, before Marmoush curled a superb free-kick into the top corner. Josha Vagnoman and Nick Woltemade reduced the arrears late on and Chris Führich thought he had rescued a point for the hosts deep into added time, but the Germany international was ruled offside from Jeff Chabot’s flick-on.

Four alterations

Head coach Dino Toppmöller made four changes to the Eintracht team that started Thursday’s 1-0 victory at home to Slavia Praha in the UEFA Europa League. Mahmoud Dahoud, Mario Götze, Ansgar Knauff and Can Uzun dropped to the bench, with Brown, Ellyes Skhiri, Junior Dina Ebimbe and Ekitiké replacing them.

Trapp saves at one end, Hugo nets at the other

In an end-to-end opening, in-form Marmoush fired narrowly wide after running on to Tuta’s long ball forward, before Führich sent a left-footed shot straight at Trapp from a tight angle. The home side were given a golden opportunity to take the lead on 20 minutes when Hugo Larsson caught Angelo Stiller inside the penalty area, but Trapp guessed the right way to keep out Demirovic’s effort.

The VfB striker attempted to make amends five minutes later with a low drive from just outside the box, but the shot lacked the power and accuracy to trouble Trapp. The linesman then came to Eintracht’s rescue on the half-hour mark, ruling out Chabot’s glancing header for offside, before Ekitiké’s thumping header from Marmoush’s corner gave the Eagles a narrow lead at the break.

Eagles hold on after Omar masterpiece

Buoyed by Ekitiké’s opener, Toppmöller’s charges made a brighter start to the second half and deservedly doubled their advantage through Brown, who was first to half-time substitute Knauff’s low ball into the box. Marmoush then became the first Eintracht player ever to score 11 goals in his first ten Bundesliga games, lifting a free-kick over the VfB wall and into the top corner from just outside the area.

Demirovic rattled the crossbar late on before Vagnoman’s drive took a deflection off Arthur Theate on its way past Trapp. Woltemade pulled another back for Stuttgart in a nervy ending to the contest from Eintracht’s perspective, but it was nothing more than a consolation as the Eagles became the first team since TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in October last year to beat Sebastian Hoeneß’s charges at the MHP Arena in the top flight.