Eintracht Frankfurt's start to the 2026/27 Bundesliga season has been a study in sharp contrasts. A heavy 1-4 defeat at home to Augsburg on matchday two left the club sitting 14th with just one point from two games, and raised serious questions about a defence that had already looked vulnerable in the opening 3-3 draw at Union Berlin. The pressure on coach Adolf Hütter was building fast.

The response, though, was emphatic. Frankfurt travelled to the MEWA Arena and beat Mainz 05 3-0 on matchday three, a result that provided genuine relief and moved the club off the foot of the table. It was exactly the kind of reaction supporters needed to see.

Off the pitch, the summer transfer window brought its own turbulence. Goalkeeper Noah Atubolu arrived on loan from SC Freiburg after a difficult few months in which he had trained away from the first-team squad and waited for a move that nearly did not materialise. Speaking at his first press conference, Atubolu told reporters he had waited many weeks for this moment and that things had happened during the summer that were simply not acceptable. His debut, a 3-3 draw at Union, was chaotic, but the clean sheet at Mainz will have done his confidence good.

Sportsdirector Markus Krösche also attracted attention after Liverpool's Richard Hughes resigned, with Sport1 linking Krösche to the vacancy, though concrete interest from England has yet to emerge.