Eintracht Frankfurt beats Hamburger SV 3:1 to reach DFB-Pokal round of 16

Level at half-time, then three Frankfurt goals in 20 minutes

Eintracht Frankfurt won the first all-Bundesliga meeting of this season's DFB-Pokal at the Volkspark on Tuesday evening, 27 October 2026. The teams were goalless at half-time. Hamburg had the better of the counter-attacks before the break but failed to turn their chances into goals. After the restart, Frankfurt scored three times within roughly 20 minutes, and a late Hamburg goal changed nothing about the outcome.

Robin Koch opened the scoring in the 56th minute. Can Uzun sent in a cross, Jonathan Burkardt flicked the ball on, and Koch headed home from close range after moving up from the back line. Burkardt made it 2:0 in the 71st minute with a controlled finish inside the penalty area. Younes Ebnoutalib, who had come on for Burkardt, added the third goal in the 75th minute. Terem Moffi pulled one back for Hamburg in the 79th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Frankfurt goalkeeper Noah Atubolu failed to hold a shot from Patson Daka.

Referee decision sparks debate

The most contested moment came in the 35th minute, when Koch challenged Zakaria El Ouahdi inside the Frankfurt box and referee Tobias Stieler waved play on. Hamburg supporters demanded a penalty, and whistles followed the referee, according to NDR. Hamburg head coach Merlin Polzin reacted with outrage. Spiegel described the call as a generous one, since television pictures appeared to show Koch clearing the opponent without touching the ball. WELT reported that the debate also covered a possible red card, and the decision dominated talk about the match afterwards.

Hamburg without six senior players

Hamburg took the field without six regular starters, according to WELT: captain Nicolai Remberg (cruciate ligament tear), Fabio Vieira (muscle fibre tear), Bilal Nadir (tendon tear), Nicolas Capaldo (strain), Jordan Torunarigha (muscle problems) and Yussuf Poulsen (hip). Before the 57,000 spectators, the hosts still kept the game open for long periods. Sebastiaan Bornauw, the centre-back, was substituted at half-time with an injury, and 18-year-old Jason Bissi-Mouelle replaced him, which NDR said changed the shape of the defence for the worse.

Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter, by contrast, had more options. He left Ebnoutalib, the club's best Bundesliga scorer this season according to WELT, on the bench and brought him on late in the match. Ebnoutalib scored with his first touch after coming on.

Rematch on Sunday

The two clubs meet again on Sunday, 1 November 2026, in a Bundesliga match in Frankfurt, kick-off 17:30, broadcast on DAZN according to WELT. Hamburg could be missing another regular starter for that game, since Bornauw was taken off on Tuesday. Hamburg's goalkeeping situation was also a talking point after Atubolu's uncertain handling, and Frankfurt now go into the round of 16 with the momentum from a result that earned them a place in the next round of the cup.