Randal Kolo Muani: Eintracht Frankfurt's Unlikely Filip Kostić Replacement Continues To Impress

Randal Kolo Muani was signed as a no.9 but the striker has demonstrated that he is far more than just a center-forward, filling a void left by Filip Kostić for Eintracht Frankfurt.

It was a brilliant strike that opened the door to the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for Eintracht Frankfurt. In the 72nd minute, Randal Kolo Muani streaked down the right wing and smashed the ball past Sporting keeper Antonio Adan. Frankfurt had turned around a one-goal deficit and managed to hang on for 23 minutes to walk through the door opened by Kolo Muani to qualify out of Group D.

“It’s crazy what the players managed to pull off and how they dealt with setbacks,” head coach Oliver Glasner said. “We’re now in the round of 16, and we absolutely deserve to be there. What makes me proud is the fact that we were always true to ourselves—we stuck to our gameplan throughout.”

At one moment, it even appeared that die Adler had won the group. But a 95th-minute winner by Tottenham Hotspur against Olympique Marseille would mean that the Premier League side would snatch away first place in the group.

Frankfurt ultimately won’t care. For the Eagles, this win is yet another chapter of an incredible journey through Europe in recent years. Whether it is the run to the Europa League semi-finals in 2019, when Chelsea eliminated them on penalties, or winning the competition in Sevilla last year against Rangers, Frankfurt have displayed the ultimate staying power of a club built for European success.