Jonathan Burkardt turned the final day at Deutsche Bank Park in Eintracht Frankfurt's favour, even if not quite into a win. The substitute came on in the 60th minute with Frankfurt 2-0 down, scored two penalties in the 72nd and 90+2nd minutes, and dragged the game back to 2-2 against VfB Stuttgart. Stuttgart still got what they needed from the afternoon, finishing fourth with 61 points to secure Champions League football.

Why Burkardt was the decisive figure

Frankfurt had little control over the match before Burkardt arrived. By the time Albert Riera turned to him on the hour, Stuttgart had already built a two-goal lead and looked set to see the game out.

Instead, the entire tone of the contest changed around one player. Bundesliga.com's match report said: "Jonathan Burkardt was the standout performer for Frankfurt, coming off the bench in the 60th minute and immediately making his presence felt. He won and converted both penalties that rescued a point for the hosts, sending Nübel the wrong way with his first and firing high into the top corner with his second."

That sums up the game neatly because Frankfurt's comeback lived almost entirely through him. Both goals came from the spot, so there is no need to dress it up as something else, but winning and converting two penalties in a 34-minute cameo is still match-defining work.

The numbers back that up. Jonathan Burkardt posted a 7.9 rating, the highest on the pitch, and scored 2 goals in 34 minutes. He was also voted Man of the Match with 29 per cent of the vote, which feels about right given how flat Frankfurt looked before he came on.

A draw can leave room for several storylines, but this one had a clear centre. Burkardt changed the result on his own more than anyone else on the pitch.

How Stuttgart lost control but still got the bigger prize

For long stretches, VfB Stuttgart looked like the side with the sharper plan and the cleaner execution. Chema Andrés put them ahead in the 10th minute, and his opener came with a 37 percent goal probability. By half-time Stuttgart were 2-0 up after Nikolas Nartey added the second in the 45+4th minute.

That early control matters because it explains why the late swing feels like two stories at once. Stuttgart were good enough to put Frankfurt in serious trouble, and for an hour they were the better side.

There were a few details around that control too. Sebastian Hoeneß named an unchanged starting XI for the first time this season, and the side carried that stability into the first half. Chris Führich, Deniz Undav and Chema Andrés all featured in a team that looked settled long before the chaos at the end.

But it is also fair to say Stuttgart let a winning position slip. A 2-0 lead on the final day should usually be enough, and conceding in the 72nd minute and again in the 90+2nd minute is the kind of finish that leaves a mark.

That said, the criticism has a limit. The game finished 2-2, not as a Stuttgart win, and the table is what mattered most by full-time. Stuttgart still finished fourth in the Bundesliga with 61 points, which secured Champions League qualification. In practical terms, the late collapse cost them a cleaner afternoon more than it cost them their objective.

What the draw actually means for both sides

The official match report put the ending simply: "Despite a frantic finish, neither side could find a winner, and the match ended all square."

That line suits the final read on Stuttgart. They will not love the way the game finished, because surrendering a 2-0 lead always jars, but they still left with Champions League football secured. On a final day, that tends to settle most internal arguments.

For Eintracht Frankfurt, the result was more about rescue than reward. The brief's verified standing shows Frankfurt finished eighth with 43 points, so there is no bigger qualification story to attach to the comeback. It was a salvage job, and Burkardt was the reason it did not end as a flat home defeat.

Frankfurt also had a personal milestone in the game, with Ellyes Skhiri making his 200th Bundesliga appearance. Still, Burkardt's intervention defined the afternoon far more than any pre-match marker.

When a substitute comes on at 2-0 down and scores twice from the spot to save a point, the match report almost writes itself. Alexander Nübel guessed wrong for the first penalty, the second was struck high into the top corner, and Frankfurt escaped with a draw. Stuttgart finished fourth, and Burkardt finished as the game's standout performer.

FAQ

How did Jonathan Burkardt change the game against VfB Stuttgart?

Burkardt came on for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 60th minute with his side 2-0 down. He then won and converted two penalties, scoring in the 72nd minute and again in the 90+2nd minute to pull Frankfurt back to 2-2. He finished with a 7.9 rating and was voted Man of the Match with 29 per cent of the vote.

Did VfB Stuttgart still qualify for the Champions League after drawing with Frankfurt?

Yes. Stuttgart drew 2-2 after leading 2-0, but the point was still enough to secure Champions League football. The verified standings in the brief show Stuttgart finished fourth in the Bundesliga with 61 points.

Why was Jonathan Burkardt voted Man of the Match?

The deciding factor was his impact off the bench. Burkardt entered in the 60th minute and, across 34 minutes, won and scored both penalties that rescued a point for Frankfurt. He posted the highest individual rating on the pitch at 7.9 and took 29 per cent of the Man of the Match vote.

Did Stuttgart throw away the result against Eintracht Frankfurt?

There is a case for saying Stuttgart let control slip because they were 2-0 up at half-time and conceded twice late on. But that framing only goes so far because the game still ended 2-2 and Stuttgart finished fourth, which was enough for Champions League qualification.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →