Wolf emerges from shadows for Frankfurt in Mainz draw

October 28, 2017

When Frankfurt swooped for a young, pacy winger to add width and dynamism to a solid defensive unit, the overwhelming reaction among Frankfurt fans was Marius who?

Always attested a great talent, eyebrows were nonetheless raised when Frankfurt took him on loan from second-tier Hannover’s reserves last season. A devastating injury sustained in Frankfurt’s victorious German Cup semi-final against Borussia Mönchengladbach in April cost him an appearance in the showpiece final.

Following goals against Borussia Dortmund last Saturday and Schweinfurt in the cup midweek, Wolf is now slowly but surely establishing himself at the top table of German football.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Hannover 4-2 Borussia Dortmund

Roman Bürki (middle) made another big goalkeeping mistake, fouling Felix Klaus (left) for a penalty after less than 20 minutes. He didn’t have the worst error of the day though — Dortmund had to play most of the second half with 10 men after Dan-Axel Zagadou was sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Hoffenheim 1-3 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Thorgan Hazard (right) was the hero again for Gladbach for the second straight game. He scored the decisive goal for the Foals against Fortuna Düsseldorf in the German Cup, and followed it up with the go-ahead strike against Hoffenheim.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Leverkusen 2-1 Cologne

Sven Bender (right) helped Leverkusen complete a second-half comeback in their second consecutive game. The Leverkusen defender finished off a header from Jonathan Tah from a corner to give the home side the lead.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Hertha Berlin 2-1 Hamburg

Defenders were the driving force for Hertha on Saturday as they topped Hamburg in the German capital. Karim Rekik (right) doubled Hertha’s lead just after the halftime break, a lead Hamburg were not able to recover from.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Schalke 1-1 Wolfsburg

Nabil Bentaleb (left) scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season after missing time with injury. He converted a penalty to give Schalke the lead in the first half, but Wolfsburg denied Schalke the three points with a stoppage-time equalizer.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Mainz 1-1 Frankfurt

Mainz defender Stefan Bell looks despairingly on as he turns the ball into his own net to give Eintracht Frankfurt the lead in the Rhein-Main derby. His blushes were spared, however, as Suat Serdar grabbed a second-half equalizer.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Bayern Munich – RB Leipzig

Inside or out? The penalty that (never) was when Arturo Vidal (right) scythed down Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg (left) sparked a heated debate in German football this week. After controversially losing to Bayern in a penalty shootout in the cup, Leipzig are out for revenge when they travel to Munich on Saturday.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Werder Bremen – Augsburg

Will the real Werder Bremen please stand up? What has become of the side that used to stand for exciting, attacking football albeit with defensive deficiencies? Werder have recorded a meagre three goals in nine games this season and are still looking for their first victory. The cup win midweek may provide a boost ahead of Augsburg’s visit.

Bundesliga: Hannover stun Borussia Dortmund

Stuttgart – Freiburg

Near-neighbors geographically and in the table: Stuttgart welcome Freiburg with both teams needing a win in the battle against relegation. The South-West derby is a chance for Freiburg to turn solid recent performances into points. Will the victory over Dresden in the cup (pictured) provide the springboard for success?

Author: Joscha Weber

In the 1-1 draw in an uninspiring Rhein-Main derby in Mainz, it was Wolf who provided the impetus once again. As the clock ticked down on an uneventful first half, Wolf pounced on Daniel Brosinski’s hesitancy near the corner flag, surged into the area and his low cross was diverted into the net by Stefan Bell.

Read more: Bundesliga – Bayern vs. Leipzig part II

Frankfurt are playing full of confidence at the moment. Flying high in the Bundesliga, they’ve added an attacking dimension to the aggressive style that characterized coach Niko Kovac’s debut season. French goalgetter Sebastien Haller and high-profile signing Kevin-Prince Boateng may have dominated the headlines in that transition, but Wolf is playing his way into the limelight.

It had been exactly 31 years to the day since Frankfurt last won in Mainz. Not since October 26, 1986 had Eintracht made the short trip home with all three points in the bag. They probably haven’t had an easier ride in years than they did on Friday night and will be disappointed at conceding an equalizer to a poor Mainz team.

A side that relies on counter-attacking, Mainz found themselves in the unusual situation of dominating possession. And they often seemed unsure what to do with it, making life simple for Frankfurt. The visitors were happy to sit back and wait to utilize the pace of Wolf to create chances on the break.

His persistence that forced the opening goal made it three assists and two goals himself in his last five outings.

Still on loan until the end of the season, Frankfurt could exercise a cut-price purchase clause in his contract. On this evidence, they are in for the steal of the century.

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

The Initiator: Juan Mata

“I want to help to change the world, even if only in some small way,” wrote Manchester United’s Spanish midfielder Juan Mata when launching his “Common Goal” initiative. “And I hope that other footballers around the world will help me in this goal.”

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

The Beneficiary: Streetfootballworld

The 2010 World Cup winner is therefore donating one per cent of his salary to “Streetworldfootball” – a initiative founded in 2002 which supports 120 football aid projects for disadvantaged young people in 80 countries. And Mata’s call didn’t go unheeded …

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Heather O’Reily, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan

United States internationals Heather O’Reily, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan were among the first footballers to support Mata’s project. “Alex and I felt it was important that women’s football was represented right from the outset,” said Rapinoe who, along with her teammates, won the World Cup in 2015.

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Pauline Bremer

Next to answer the “Common Goal” call was Champions League winner Pauline Bremer (seen here with the cup). The German international, who transfered from Olympique Lyon to Manchester City in the summer, has been an ambassador for Streetworldfootball since October 2016.

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Mats Hummels

Bayern Munich center back Mats Hummels became the first Bundesliga player to support the initiative when he joined in August. “I feel we can do more to give some meaning to the ever-increasing salaries in football,” said the 2014 German World Cup winner who, like Mata, is donating one per cent of his earnings to Common Goal.

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Dennis Aogo

Stuttgart’s Dennis Aogo is donating two per cent of his salary. “It’s not to look fashionable and it’s not to look cool,” said the former Germany international. “It’s about helping people.”

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Julian Nagelsmann

Germany’s coaches are also represented in the form of Julian Nagelsmann. “Let’s be honest,” said the Hoffenheim boss, “for those of us who make a lot of money in this industry, one per cent is not a problem.”

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Serge Gnabry

German international Serge Gnabry is on loan to Hoffenheim from Bayern and, like Mats Hummels, also referred to the spiralling transfer fees and wages in modern football. “I want the game to be used for good,” he said. “That’s why I’m joining Common Goal.”

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Shinji Kagawa

Juan Mata’s former Manchester United teammate Shinji Kagawa said he is taking part in Common Goal so that other people can benefit from the potential of football. “Football has taught me many things,” said the Borussia Dortmund midfielder. “It gives me hope and helps me look outside the box.”

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Giorgio Chiellini

International stars such as Giorgio Chiellini are also getting involved. “As footballers, we find ourselves in a privileged position compared to other people in society,” said the Juventus and Italy defender. “It’s important to bear that in mind and try to support others.”

Common Goal: footballers unite for a common cause

Hasan Ali Kaldirim

Hasan Ali Kaldirim became the first Turkish footballer to join Common Goal. “When we work together, football can have a great and lasting effect all over the world,” said the German-born Turkey international who currently plays for Fenerbahce.

Author: Stefan Nestler