Eintracht Frankfurt overcame the imminent departure of in-form Omar Marmoush to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home on Friday, heaping more misery on the slumping visitors. Frankfurt, who cut Manchester City target Marmoush from the matchday squad just hours before kickoff, were clinical and controlled. Striker Hugo Ekitike put Frankfurt in front early and Dortmund had few clear chances despite dominating control of the ball.

In stoppage time, Oscar Hojlund took advantage of a Dortmund mistake in midfield, winning possession and running 40 metres to slide the ball past a helpless Gregor Kobel.

“We know what we had in Omar,” Frankfurt’s Mario Goetze told DAZN.

“An incredible player, a great character. It’s always a shame when a player leaves, but the team did well against Dortmund today.”

The result means Dortmund, who played in the Champions League final in June, have lost their past three and have just one victory in their last six games.

They could fall to as low as 11th depending on results this weekend and are 11 points behind Frankfurt, who are on course for their first top-four finish in three decades.

Dortmund midfielder Pascal Gross said: “It’s a results sport and at the end of the day, we couldn’t get a result. It’s extremely difficult.”

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl backed coach Nuri Sahin after the game despite the lean run, saying “we will keep going. Nuri has our trust.

“We’re disappointed and unsatisfied with where we are,” and added “this is not a team who should be sitting where we are on the table.”

– Marmoush to City ‘likely’ -Just hours before kick-off, Frankfurt’s sporting director Markus Kroesche confirmed Marmoush had been left out of the squad due to a “very, very likely” move to City.

Despite their poor recent form, the visitors started strong, Serhou Guirassy heading a lofted Julian Ryerson cross against the post eight minutes in.

Expected to carry a heavier burden after Marmoush’s departure, Frankfurt’s French forward Ekitike put the hosts in front 18 minutes in.

Taking advantage of some sleepy Dortmund defence, Rasmus Kristensen ran into acres of space on the right. The Dane tore down the flank and laid a controlled cross into the path of Ekitike, who glanced the ball home.

As they have done for much of the season, Dortmund dominated possession but were unable to break through, with the hosts holding firm.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Nnamdi Collins clattered into Jamie Gittens inside the box but the referee waved the contact away before showing Dortmund captain Emre Can a yellow card for complaining.

“It was a clear penalty,” Gross told DAZN.

Dortmund threw men forward as Sahin made a series of attacking substitutions, only for Frankfurt’s Hojlund to steal the ball from Can and march up the field before sealing the result.

At full-time, a tearful Marmoush emerged from the stands and celebrated with his soon-to-be former teammates for the last time.

“He helped out the team and I think you could see in the pictures how we appreciate him. We’re happy for him — it’s a part of football,” added Goetze.

On Saturday, league leaders Bayern Munich host Wolfsburg. Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, who sit four points back in second, play at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Goals from Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda took Leipzig to a 2-1 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, days out from their trip to league leaders Bayern Munich. Sesko headed in a rebound after 19 minutes but Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown equalised with a clever solo effort on the 41-minute mark, hitting a low shot in off the right upright. Openda, who was unlucky to be called offside when Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner scored just one minute into the game, put the hosts back in front with a trademark rocket after 51 minutes. 

Leipzig, who lost 3-2 to Aston Villa on Tuesday to become the first club eliminated from the Champions League midweek, held on to grab all three points.

Leipzig’s Baumgartner toasted his side’s “hard bit of work”.

He added: “We’ve got quality up front and we’ve got speed.

“We’ve got to keep going like this against Munich. We might not have as many chances as we did today, but we’ll go there and see what’s possible.”

The win meant Leipzig drew level with Frankfurt on 27 points, six behind Bayern Munich, who were outclassed 2-1 by lowly Mainz on Saturday. 

Leipzig face Bayern in Munich on Friday. Leipzig could move within three points of the league leaders with a win, while opening the door for defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, who are currently four points behind in second.

Frankfurt, who were eliminated from the German Cup by Leipzig at the same venue 11 days ago, are winless in four in all competitions. 

Dortmund ‘unbelievably bad’

Borussia Dortmund’s recent struggles continued when former BVB forward Jacob Bruun Larsen netted a last-gasp equaliser for Hoffenheim in a 1-1 draw earlier on Sunday at the Westfalenstadion.

Beset by injuries across the park, Dortmund have not won since November in the league and now sit eighth, 11 points off Bayern despite the latter losing on Saturday.

In his first league start since October 2023, American forward Gio Reyna put Dortmund in front in the first minute of the second half, chesting down a headed clearance before blasting home. 

In stoppage time, however, Bruun Larsen was in the right place to score after Dortmund failed to defend a throw-in. 

Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, named in the starting XI despite being stretchered off against Barcelona on Wednesday, slammed his side. 

“It’s the worst game we’ve played at home,” Schlotterbeck said, calling the performance “unbelievably bad” and “impossible to explain”.

Coach Nuri Sahin agreed, saying he was “really disturbed” by “the lack of energy” on the pitch.

“There are no excuses,” Sahin said, adding it would be “too easy” to blame the club’s injuries.

Hoffenheim now have five points from four league fixtures since Christian Ilzer took over in November.

Stuttgart won 3-1 away at Heidenheim to climb up to sixth.

Germany defender Maximilian Mittelstaedt put Stuttgart in front with a smart finish after bursting into the area on 20 minutes. 

Heidenheim starlet Paul Wanner, on loan from Bayern Munich, equalised with an excellent long-range effort on 41 minutes. 

Stuttgart however hit back just before half-time, Enzo Millot heading in a Josha Vagnoman cross. 

Stuttgart sealed the result from the penalty spot when Nick Woltemade converted a spot-kick in the 85th minute, his fourth goal in his past three games.

“It was a tough fight,” Mittelstaedt told DAZN. “Heidenheim had the knife between their teeth. We threw everything into it.”

Surprise runners-up last season, Stuttgart have struggled to adjust to the demands of a return to the Champions League. Sebastian Hoeness’ side have come into form recently however, with Sunday’s win their fourth in a row.

Conference League participants Heidenheim have also struggled due to Europe this season and are third last, in the relegation playoff spot, with 10 points from 14 games. 

Omar Marmoush in action© X (Twitter)

RB Leipzig lost more ground on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a 4-3 defeat at lowly Hoffenheim on Saturday and were overtaken into second by Eintracht Frankfurt. Equal on points with Bayern just three matchdays ago, Leipzig have since lost two and drawn one to sit eight points behind the league leaders. Hoffenheim came from a goal down to equalise three times and took the lead with four minutes remaining in a wild debut for new manager Christian Ilzer. Hoffenheim’s Adam Hlozek collected a brace while Tom Bischof scored a clever free-kick and Jacob Bruun Larsen was responsible for the winner in the 86th minute.

Leipzig’s efforts came through Willi Orban, Antonio Nusa and an own goal from Hoffenheim’s Stanley N’Soki.

The team from eastern Germany had only conceded five goals in the league season before Saturday’s defeat.

“We’re incredibly disappointed. We went ahead three times and lost in the end, that really hurts,” Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner told Sky.

Mario Goetze, the hero of Germany’s 2014 World Cup win, scored in his 100th Frankfurt game as his side beat Werder Bremen 1-0 to continue their impressive league form and move two points ahead of Leipzig in second.

Goetze’s 45th-minute goal, blasted in from near the penalty spot, was set up by a delicate pass from French striker Hugo Ekitike, his sixth assist of the league campaign.

A “happy and proud” Frankfurt captain Kevin Trapp said “Leipzig’s loss gave us some good momentum”. 

As chants of “German champions, it can only be Frankfurt” rung out, Trapp tried to downplay expectations. 

“First spot is far away but we’ll take the euphoria and self-confidence with us — it can only do us good.”

‘Special place’

Borussia Dortmund beat Freiburg 4-0 at home thanks to goals from Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens, while the visitors finished with nine men.

Under fire and sitting outside the European spots coming into the match, Dortmund’s one saving grace this league campaign has been their home form, with five wins from five.

“It’s a special place here, with the fans behind you,” Brandt told Sky, with an eye on next week’s home clash with Bayern. 

“That’ll be a sensational game.”

The hosts got on track early, when Beier, who scored a double for Germany’s Under-21s against France this week, opened the scoring seven minutes in.

Midfielder Nmecha, who netted for Germany’s senior side in their 1-1 draw in Hungary midweek, added a second with a superb long-range effort. 

Freiburg’s hopes of a comeback were snuffed out after 63 minutes when Patrick Osterhage picked up a second yellow card for a rough tussle with Marcel Sabitzer. 

From the ensuing free-kick, Dortmund’s Brandt curled the ball home and England winger Gittens bent in a fourth to seal the win. 

Freiburg’s Junior Adamu received a straight red for striking Dortmund’s Waldemar Anton in stoppage time, reducing his side to nine men. 

Dortmund have now won their past six against Freiburg, scoring 24 and conceding five. 

Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen came from two goals down to win 5-2 at home against Heidenheim thanks to a hat-trick from Patrik Schick. 

Heidenheim, who host Chelsea in the Conference League on Thursday, were two goals up within 21 minutes, with Niklas Dorsch and Mathias Honsak taking advantage of some sleepy defending. 

Argentine World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios pulled one back on the half-hour mark before Schick scored three unanswered goals to wrestle back control of the match, before Granit Xhaka added a fifth. 

Xhaka told Sky: “Patrik is a striker who has needed to be patient, but when you need him, he’s there.

“He doesn’t need that many chances.”

Last season’s runners-up Stuttgart scored two second-half goals through Chris Fuehrich and Justin Diehl to win 2-0 at home over bottom club Bochum, who have just two points from 11 games this season. 

Elsewhere, Ridle Baku scored the only goal as Wolfsburg defeated Union Berlin 1-0 at home. 

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush continued his blistering run of form in the Bundesliga on Sunday with an assist and a goal in his side’s 3-2 win away to Stuttgart. The Egyptian international enjoyed a dream return to former club Stuttgart, setting up Frankfurt’s first goal and scoring their third in a rollercoaster game. Marmoush, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent weeks, has now notched up 14 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season.

With 11 of those having come in the league, he is now level with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane at the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts. 

“Omar always wants to win, regardless of whether it’s a Bundesliga game or a training match,” Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoeller told DAZN after the game. 

The win saw Frankfurt remain in third, six points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich and three ahead of reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Meanwhile, last season’s runners-up Stuttgart are now wallowing in mid-table having won only three of their first 10 games.

After surviving an early chance for Marmoush after just three minutes, Stuttgart had the better of the first half and were unfortunate not to take the lead themselves. 

The home fans twice had their celebrations cut short in the first half-hour, as Ermedin Demirovic missed a penalty and Julian Chabot had a headed goal ruled out for offside.

Enzo Millot also grazed the bar on 38 minutes, but it was Frankfurt who finally broke the deadlock just before the break.

As the clock ticked over into added time, Marmoush picked out strike partner Hugo Ekitike with a venomous corner, and the French striker smashed in an unstoppable header.

Nathaniel Brown doubled Frankfurt’s lead 10 minutes into the second half, prodding home from close range after Ansgar Knauff unlocked the Stuttgart defence with a mazy run from midfield. 

Marmoush then added a third just after the hour, curling in an unstoppable direct free-kick from around 25 metres. 

The goal proved to be decisive as Stuttgart almost launched a miraculous comeback in the dying minutes of the game.

Josha Vagnoman snatched one back for the home side on 86 minutes, before Nick Woltemade prodded home a second four minutes later. 

Chris Fuehrich sent Stuttgart into ecstasy when he buried the ball in the back of the net seven minutes into added time, but the goal was ruled out for offside. 

“It was brutal today, but football is like that sometimes,” said Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness. 

Record yellow card

In Sunday’s late game, Wolfsburg held on to win 3-1 away to Heidenheim and pull away from the relegation zone. 

Yannick Gerhardt gave the visitors the lead with the first shot of the game after just three minutes, before Bence Dardai doubled the lead just before half-time.

Marvin Pieringer’s second-half strike wasn’t enough for Heidenheim, and Tiago Tomas sealed the win for Wolfsburg in the 90th minute. 

Elsewhere, Hoffenheim’s Pavel Kaderabek picked up the joint-fastest yellow card in Bundesliga history during his side’s 0-0 draw with Augsburg.

Former Czech international Kaderabek was booked after just eight seconds for a high elbow against Augsburg’s Dimitris Giannoulis, equalling a record previously held by former Freiburg striker Florian Niederlechner. 

The early yellow proved to be the most notable event in an otherwise forgettable game, as the two southern sides cancelled each other out on a chilly afternoon in Augsburg.

The draw left both teams in the bottom half of the table, with Hoffenheim just a point clear of the bottom three in 15th.

Victor Boniface’s 72nd-minute goal was the difference as Bayer Leverkusen beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at home, while RB Leipzig won 2-0 at Mainz to go top of the table. Omar Marmoush sent Frankfurt 1-0 up, before Robert Andrich equalised for the champions midway through the first half and Boniface completed the comeback in the second period. Leverkusen were given an early chance when Amine Adli was felled in the box, sending Boniface to the spot after a long VAR review. 

The Nigerian’s shot, too soft and central, was gobbled up by Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. 

Just five minutes later, the referee was sent to the video screen again, this time finding a penalty for Frankfurt, with Andrich lightly touching Marmoush’s foot. 

Marmoush showed Boniface how it is done, blasting a low shot left to give the visitors the lead on 16 minutes. The Egyptian now has an incredible nine goals and five assists in just seven league games this season.

Andrich made good on his error soon afterwards, combining expertly with Adli and Martin Terrier to flit through the penalty area for a superb one-touch goal in the 25th minute.

Boniface would also redeem himself, giving Leverkusen the lead inside the final 20 minutes, heading in a deflected cross from substitute Florian Wirtz to put the hosts on course for victory.

Andrich told Sky Germany “we were focused and played good football — and there was a nice goal from me.”

The 30-year-old midfielder, who made his Germany debut last season after a career largely spent in the lower divisions, said of his performance: “I always have fun playing football, but I maybe have to work a bit harder than the rest.”

Days out from their home Champions League clash with Liverpool, Leipzig beat Mainz to go top of the table, at least until Bayern Munich’s home match against Stuttgart later on Saturday.

At kick-off, the Mainz fans unveiled a series of banners critical of former coach Jurgen Klopp’s decision to take over as football boss at Leipzig’s parent company Red Bull. 

The home fans asked “Are you crazy?” and accused Klopp, who coached Mainz to a debut promotion before joining Borussia Dortmund and later Liverpool, of “forgetting everything we gave you”.

Still unbeaten this season in Germany despite two Champions League losses, Leipzig took the lead after 20 minutes thanks to an excellent solo effort from Xavi Simons. 

Leipzig captain Willi Orban tapped in a rebound from a Lois Openda cross to put his side 2-0 up.

Orban told Sky: “We could have finished things off earlier but we’re happy with the win.”

Elsewhere, Freiburg continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-1 home win over Augsburg to go into outright second. 

Freiburg were three goals up at half-time, with Vincenzo Grifo, Philipp Lienhart and Christian Guenter scoring, before Augsburg’s Phillip Tietz pulled one back in the second period.

Borussia Moenchengladbach striker Tim Kleindienst scored a double, days after making his Germany debut, in a 3-2 home win over former club Heidenheim.

Hoffenheim won their first game since their season opener, with Andrej Kramaric, Marius Buelter and Haris Tabakovic scoring in a 3-1 win over lowly Bochum, who sit last with just one point from seven games.

Manchester United will travel to Turkish giants Fenerbahce, now coached by Jose Mourinho, among their eight games in the league phase of the new-look Europa League, the draw for which took place in Monaco on Friday. The Old Trafford club won the Europa League with Mourinho as coach in 2017. He recently became coach of Fenerbahce, who were knocked out of the Champions League in the third qualifying round. United will also notably play at home to 2022 Europa League runners-up Rangers and go to Portugal to play Porto, another of Mourinho’s old sides.

Tottenham Hotspur, the other English representative in the competition, will also take on Rangers, in their case away from home.

In addition, Ange Postecoglou’s side will play at home to Roma and go to Istanbul to face Turkish champions Galatasaray.

The format of the Europa League has changed for this season, along the same lines of the new-look Champions League.

The number of clubs in the competition proper is now 36, all of whom are placed into one league but split into four pots of seeds.

Each participant plays eight games, facing two clubs from each pot, one at home and one away.

For Rangers, other opponents will include Lyon at home, Olympiakos away, and Nice away in France.

Other clubs involved in the competition include former European champions in Ajax as well as FCSB of Romania, who won the 1986 European Cup as Steaua Bucharest.

Eintracht Frankfurt, who beat Rangers in the final two years ago, are present along with Athletic Bilbao, whose stadium will host this season’s final.

The top eight at the end of the league phase — which runs until the end of January — will advance to the last 16, while the teams finishing from ninth to 24th will advance to a play-off round to decide the remaining last-16 spots.

The bottom 12 in the league phase will be eliminated, with no clubs dropping down into the Conference League ahead of the knockouts, and no teams parachuting down from the Champions League as in the past.

UEFA have said that dates for all fixtures will be announced on Saturday. The first group games will be played on September 25 and 26, a week after the opening matchday of the Champions League.

This season’s Europa League final will be played in Bilbao on May 21 next year. Atalanta won the trophy last season, beating Bayer Leverkusen in the final in Dublin.