Sebastien Haller has earned every superlative for Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt picked up a critical three points with a last-gasp win over Hoffenheim, and Sebastien Haller once again came up huge for the Eagles.

Whenever Eintracht Frankfurt take the field, all the attention is directed toward their prolific attacking quartet of Sebastien Haller, Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic and Filip Kostic.

Though Rebic received the most attention over the summer with his sensational performances for Croatia and ensuing transfer interest, and Jovic grabbed headlines with five goals against Fortuna Dusseldorf last October, it’s Haller who consistently comes up huge for Frankfurt when they need a big play the most.

Kostic has been a tireless creator for Frankfurt with his dribbling, but the Eagles have often lacked that final ball, whether it’s from Kostic or someone else. Two weeks ago, that was the story for Frankfurt in a 1-1 draw with out-of-form Borussia Monchengladbach, and it nearly became the story of matchday 24 against a gritty Hoffenheim side.

After going down early, Hoffenheim took a 2-1 lead behind goals from star attackers Joelinton and Ishak Belfodil, putting Frankfurt on the ropes with just minutes left. For most of the game, Haller had been quiet, receiving very little service and unable to impose his will on Hoffenheim’s defense; his physicality and intelligent running were wasted by poor decision-making in the final third from the players behind him.

However, from out of nowhere, Haller tied the game up 2-2 with a headed effort in the 89th minute. And six minutes later, Haller helped Frankfurt find the winner, producing the final ball himself this time with a lovely cross to substitute Goncalo Paciencia.

The win vaults Frankfurt into fifth place, and they’re now bearing down on Gladbach, who suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, after this huge win. Haller, as always, worked incredibly hard, following up a fantastic performance on matchday 23 with 14 aerial duels won by netting and setting up the decisive goals for the Eagles.

Frankfurt have no shortage of attacking talent, but when it matters most, Haller, the Bundesliga’s fifth-highest goalscorer and third most prolific assister, is the man who steps up for Frankfurt no matter how the match is flowing. He’s undoubtedly one of the most important players in the Bundesliga, and the 24-year-old is, indeed, Frankfurt’s rock.

Time to be more critical of Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund have enjoyed a magnificent 2018-19 campaign, but with several poor performances piling up, it’s time to evaluate this roster with a more critical eye.

Yes, there are several promising players at all levels of this squad, but “promising” no longer cuts it for a team aspiring to dethrone Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and make some noise in the Champions League. “Promising” doesn’t help a team avoid a letdown loss to Augsburg that allows Bayern to tie them on points, nor does it help a team withstand injuries so that they can put up a fight against Tottenham in the Champions League.

Though Dortmund have some legitimately amazing players in Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus, Paco Alcacer, Manuel Akanji, Axel Witsel, Lukasz Piszczek and Roman Burki, they also have a number of contributors who need to step up, especially when injuries inevitably strike.

For example, while Achraf Hakimi has shown a great deal of ability going forward, he’s been a tremendous liability defensively, making woeful mistakes against Tottenham and Hoffenheim over the past month. Hakimi’s work in the attack has been less instrumental on the right side, where Sancho usually resides, than the left, and his poor decision-making hasn’t been out-done by his attacking play.

Hakimi will be a fantastic inverted wing-back and is already a useful player in many aspects. But as a starting defensive player on a team aiming to defeat Bayern in the Bundesliga, he leaves something to be desired. His strong work on offense can also be overstated, given that 10 players on Dortmund have averaged more key passes per game.

Stronger criticisms can be directed toward Thomas Delaney, who has been a weak link in Dortmund’s midfield, providing nothing offensively. Though he brings great energy and snaps into tackles, he doesn’t have enough defensive quality to make up for his lack of composure as a passer at the heart of Dortmund’s midfield, which is often overrun against stronger opponents.

Dortmund can still win the Bundesliga, but a more critical look at their players, as talented as their squad seems, is imperative down the stretch as Bayern begin to heat up.

Quick hits

• In 15th place, Augsburg nearly upset Bayern last week in an exciting game and were able to grab three points against league-leaders Dortmund on matchday 24, behind an inspired performance by forward Dong-Won Ji. Responsible for both goals, Ji’s second strike was a goal-of-the-season contender, as he chipped Burki with his weaker left food from a tough angle. Ji has been Augsburg’s best player lately, and after getting revenge against the club that never played him, he’s a name to watch for the rest of the Bundesliga campaign.
• Gladbach have been atrocious lately, and they could easily slip out of the top five if they don’t tighten up defensively. This team looks completely disorganized, and they fail to find their best players in attack, in addition to their embarrassing miscues on defense. If it weren’t for Yann Sommer, one of the league’s best, in goal, Gladbach could have lost by 8-1 to Bayern.
• But at least they aren’t Schalke. As if it couldn’t get any worse for the Gelsenkirchen club, they were blown out 4-0 by rivals Fortuna Dusseldorf in front of their own crowd. If Stuttgart’s veterans begin to play to their potential, Domenico Tedesco could be facing a relegation battle — if he isn’t fired before then. Schalke’s offense is a disaster of epic proportions.