|
BERLIN, March 12-- Swiss outfit Basel flabbergasted hosts Eintracht Frankfurt after snatching a 3-0 away victory in the first leg of Europa League last 16 on Thursday. Both sides needed some time to gain a foothold in the match as the tie was played behind closed doors. Understandably, goalscoring opportunities were at premium at both ends of the pitch in the first 45 minutes. Frankfurt's Sebastian Rode unleashed a long-range effort in the 8th minute before a foul from Martin Hinteregger allowed Basel's Samuele Campo to break the deadlock with a well-placed free kick over the wall into the top left corner in the 27th minute. Basel gained momentum but squandered a golden chance to double the lead in the closing moments of the first half as Silvan Widmer headed over the target from a promising position. After the restart, the visitors started where they left off and created another two chances but neither Fabian Frei nor Arthur Cabral were able to beat Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp in the early stages of the first half. The chances for Basel were a wake-up call for the hosts as Hinteregger came close twice within four minutes while Almamy Toure rattled the woodwork from a tight angle in the 67th minute. Frankfurt were on the front foot but goals were scored at the other end as Kevin Bua finished off a fast break with a chip over an onrushing Trapp to put the game to bed in the 73rd minute. | 
