Goal for Rebic, victory for Trapp
Sunday’s international action started off promisingly for the Eintracht players with a goal from Ante Rebic, but turned out so-so overall.
Out of five possible players, only Rebic and Martin Hinteregger were called into action by their countries on Sunday. Fit-again Rebic gave Croatia the lead in their second UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Hungary in Budapest. The hosts turned the game around, though, equalising before half-time through Hoffenheim striker Adam Szalai and clinching the three points in the 76th minute thanks to Mate Patkai, by which point Rebic had been taken off. The 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up are now third in Group E with one win and one defeat.
It was a similar story for Hinteregger’s Austria, who also squandered a lead as they lost 4-2 to Israel in Haifa. Hinteregger did not come up against his Eintracht team-mate Taleb Tawatha as the left-back was not included in the squad. The result moved Israel up to second in Group G, while Austria are fifth having lost their opening two matches.
Gacinovic and Jovic face Portugal
Two other Eagles who did not feature are Kevin Trapp, who watched from the substitutes’ bench as Germany beat the Netherlands 3-2 in their opening qualifier, and Simon Falette, whose Guinea team drew 0-0 with Central African Republic in Africa Cup of Nations qualification, keeping them top of their group on 12 points.
Serbia, with Mijat Gacinovic and Luka Jovic in their squad, kick off their European Championship qualifying campaign this evening against defending champions Portugal. Kick-off is at 20:45 CET at the Estadio da Luz, where the first leg of Eintracht’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Benfica will be played on 11 April.