Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt kick-started 2026 with one of the best games of the season. Both teams entered the match with a point to prove and delivered a six goal thriller with everything
you need from a soccer match; back-and-forth action, stoppage-time goals, and a Mahmoud Dahoud banger. Kovač’s side started the game very well following Maximilian Beier’s goal at the near post in the 10th minute. While Beier got Dortmund’s first goal of the year, Ryerson deserves the praise for some great footwork and a threatening cross – two things he kept providing throughout the match. Unfortunately for Dortmund, the demons of 2025 are still very much present. Frankfurt increased the intensity and Dortmund struggled to match the tempo. Niklas Süle in particular struggled when the ball was played into space and found himself caught up field several times throughout the match. Serhou Guirassy’s poor form followed him into the new year and the striker found himself committing a very silly challenge in the penalty box to gift Frankfurt a goal. It wasn’t the absolutely mind boggling challenge that some people have made it out to be but it still a clumsy penalty. Both sides limped into halftime on fairly even footing.
Frankfurt started the second half on the offensive with former Dortmund man, Ansgar Knauff, looking particularly bright but Dortmund broke through in the 68th minute thanks to Felix Nmecha. This was may go down as Dortmund’s ugliest goal of the year with the midfielder shanking his shot, deflecting it off a defender, and dribbling into the goal by the far post. The success was short lived as a misplaced pass and counterattack when Dortmund was up the field and Younes Ebnoutalib scored on his Bundesliga debut for the hosts. Both teams had partial chances, including a Schlotterbeck header that rang Frankfurt’s crossbar, but the greatest soccer player to grace Planet Earth, Mahmoud Dahoud, scored what looked like the winner in the 92nd minute. It was truly putrid defending from Borussia Dortmund on the right side of the penalty box but Dahoud’s finishing was inch perfect. As founding member of the Mahmoud Dahoud fan club, a tear came to my eye when he scored that.Fortunately for Dortmund, a modest point was saved following what will be the second worst goal of 2026 as Carney Chukwuemeka walked the ball into the back of the net in the 96th minute. What a game!
Here are the highlights so you can relive Dahoud’s goal:
And here are my takeaways:
Guirassy is Still Struggling
Borussia Dortmund have quietly been putting together a good (not great) season. The team is better defensively than they have been in over decade and you would have to go back seven years to find a season where they have more points at this stage of the season. The negative talking points have revolved around their struggle to finish close games and score goals. Those issues fall on the foot of Serhou Guirassy. The 29-year-old is undoubtedly a fantastic player who can score in Kovač’s system but he only scored one Bundesliga goal since September. The good news – he showed flashes of what he can do. Guirassy might be missing his shooting boots but go back and watch Dortmund’s first goal of the match. Guirassy recognizes Beier’s run and cuts towards the back post to pull two of Frankfurt’s defenders with him. Dortmund’s star striker is still in there, he just needs to find his form – and avoid silly penalties.
Nmecha-Sabitzer is Dortmund’s Best Midfield… For Now
Pascal Groß’s departure led to a thousand conversations on what Dortmund’s midfield will look like in 2026. The reality is that it will look the exact same it did in 2025; with Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer covering a lot of ground. Jobe Bellingham’s suspension made this an easy decision for Kovač but both Nmecha and Sabitzer were fantastic this game. They combined well, did the dirty work, and bossed Frankfurt’s midfield until they injected Dahoud and Gotze to add numbers. We should expect to see these two reprise their partnership as Dortmund’s core for the rest of the season as Jobe Bellingham finds his feet in Dortmund.
How this Game Impacts the January Window
The short answer is – it doesn’t. Dortmund typically avoids spending big in the Winter Transfer window and this match gave them some good reasons not to. Despite Anselmino’s injury and Bensebaini’s absence, Dortmund had the numbers to cover defense. A Nmecha-Sabitzer midfield with Jobe and Ozcan is enough to see out the season. In attack, the plethora of attackers mean that the club doesn’t have a hole to fill. The club has shown that ti has enough talent to go toe-to-toe with its Champions League rivals and eek out a spot in the Bundesliga’s top four.
What Dortmund does need, however, is that game-changing player who will elevate the attack, break low blocks, win duels, and put up goals. Those players do not come cheap and are rarely acquired in the Winter Transfer Window. Lars Ricken and Sebastian Kehl shouldn’t spend for spendings sake, the should identify that difference maker and go for them in the Summer.
Your Thoughts?
Are you happy the Bundesliga is back? What are your thoughts on the match? Do you agree with my reactions? Let us know!
