Eintracht Frankfurt's season has shifted in tone after a much-needed 3-1 victory at Mainz 05 on Matchday 3, a result that steadied the ship following a difficult start. The win arrived under the watch of national team coach Jürgen Klopp, which added extra weight to the performance. Frankfurt had opened the campaign with a 3-3 draw at Union Berlin and then suffered a 1-4 defeat to Augsburg, leaving the defensive frailties of Adolf Hütter's side in sharp focus. The Mainz win did not erase those concerns entirely, but it provided the confidence boost the squad needed.

The standout figure in Frankfurt's turnaround has been goalkeeper Noah Atubolu. The 24-year-old, who arrived on loan from Freiburg after a turbulent summer in which a Premier League move fell through, saved his sixth consecutive Bundesliga penalty against Mainz captain Nadiem Amiri. That sequence, which now includes stops against Florian Wirtz and Andre Silva among others, is a Bundesliga record. His form represents one of the more compelling subplots of Frankfurt's season and has prompted calls for a place in Klopp's first Germany squad on September 17.

Frankfurt sit ninth in the table with four points from three games, level with Mainz and Werder Bremen. The next test comes at home to Freiburg on September 19, a match that offers another opportunity to build on the momentum from Mainz and push further up the standings.